Woman jailed for exhibit theft

METRO VANCOUVER — A woman who stole $2,800 from police exhibits at the Chilliwack RCMP detachment has been sentenced to a year in jail, and must pay back the money. Jaime Melanie Dawn Tiller, now 39, was working as a casual exhibits custodian at the time of the thefts, according to court documents.

Stealing the cash put criminal investigations at risk and threatened the public’s confidence in justice, B.C. Supreme Justice Miriam Gropper wrote in her sentencing decision last month.

Charges had to be stayed in connection with two police investigations — including a homicide — because of the missing cash.

In all, Mounties estimated the investigation into Tiller’s actions cost the force about $1 million.

Officers first noticed the missing money in August 2011, when a former suspect appeared at the front desk and asked for the return of some money that had been seized during an investigation. All charges had been dropped in the case.

An RCMP sergeant checked with the exhibit management team and was told the money was gone.

A full audit was ordered, and officers discovered that cash was missing in connection with 19 investigations, most of which were drug cases. A jail guard pointed the investigation toward Tiller, saying she had seen the exhibit custodian entering the exhibit area after midnight.

When Mounties looked into Tiller’s bank records, they discovered three deposits totalling $2,800 — the exact amount that was missing from the exhibits.