‘Real jail’ urged for school-money thief

Ex-treasurer stole $44,000 from Keating Elementary’s Home and School Association

The Crown is asking for “real jail” for a mother of two who stole $44,000 from Keating Elementary’s Home and School Association over a two-year period.

Tanya Larayne Adam, the 44-year-old former treasurer of the association, pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 in June. At her sentencing hearing Monday in Victoria provincial court, Crown prosecutor Joselyn Byrne asked for a jail sentence of nine to 12 months, followed by two years of probation for the series of thefts from June 29, 2013 to July 8, 2015.

“This was a a serious breach of trust,” Byrne said.

“This is a case where the deceit and stealing went on for a couple of years. She did not just write cheques to herself and forge signatures. It was lying directly to people who completely trusted Miss Adam without question. She was a parent at the school. This was devastating to the people involved.”

Defence lawyer Dale Marshall asked Judge Sue Wishart to spare his client jail time. A conditional sentence order, which allows time to be served in the community under strict conditions, has not been available for the offence since 2012. With that in mind, Marshall asked Wishart to suspend her sentence or give Adam a conditional discharge.

“This was as unsophisticated a fraud as you can imagine,” Marshall said.

The theft was not premeditated. Adam always thought she would pay the money back. She was bound to get caught, Marshall said.

By the time Wishart delivers her decision next Monday, Adam will have made full restitution to the association, Marshall said.

Byrne argued that it took a lot of work to untangle Adam’s “web of lies.” When a cheque bounced and members of the association became concerned, Adam made up a phony bank statement, typing up the fraudulent document to persuade people everything was fine.

“But she had completely depleted the account,” Byrne said.

The money had been earmarked for a school playground.

Teachers and parents had volunteered their time. And work raising funds through the hotlunch program, for example, was labour intensive, Byrne said.

“The cheques say things like ‘float’ or ‘hot-lunch program.’ But it’s all fiction. They look like they are for valid expenses, but they weren’t. She was writing herself cheques, forging a second signature, when school wasn’t even in session.”

The money went directly into Adam’s bank account to cover purchases at Keating Liquor, the Log House pub, Netflix, VI Fitness and Brentwood Bay Lodge, Byrne said.

“It’s really hard to understand why she did what she did,” Byrne said. Both Adam and her husband were working. She had an income, she has a supportive family and was not struggling with addiction or mental-health issues, Byrne said.

But Marshall said the false bank statement was nothing more than a panicked response to an unsophisticated theft.

“Miss Adam never thought it would ever get to this,” Marshall said. “It spiralled out of control. She was trying to buy time for herself to get restitution.”

The offence arose from a combination of marital, emotional and financial stress, he said.

“It’s not indicative of a lifestyle that was out of control. There’s nothing here to suggest she was living an extravagant lifestyle.”

Adam endured five years of financial pressure, said Marshall. She and her husband had separate bank accounts. He paid the mortgage and she paid all other expenses. When her work hours were reduced in 2006, she struggled to pay her expenses.

When she tried to talk to her husband about the problem, she felt ignored and unsupported, Marshall said. Her marriage fell apart.

“She felt unsupported, alone, helpless and snowed under by these financial burdens,” Marshall said. “She had no intention to deprive the organization of the funds. But she was in denial and didn’t keep track.”

After Central Saanich police told Adam she was being investigated, she gave a full confession.

“She took full responsibility long before the investigation was complete,” said Marshall.

Adam, who had never been in trouble with the law before, has expressed embarrassment, remorse and shame and has taken counselling, Marshall said.