Latest news with #ShawnaEasthope
CBC
21 hours ago
- CBC
3rd person charged in connection with alleged fraud at Calgary non-profit
A 61-year-old Calgary woman has been charged in connection with an alleged fraud tied to a local community organization. On Monday, Calgary police said they had charged Shawna Easthope with one count of fraud over $5,000 in relation to an ongoing investigation tied to the Bowness Ratepayers Scouts and Lions Hall. Last week, Calgary police announced fraud charges against Nathan Mizera, 41, and Joshua Bredo, 40, after more than $66,000 was allegedly embezzled from the association. Police said that in 2022, the pair became involved with the association and its hall, rebranding it as BowCommons and holding events under the name Discover Bowness. The two men then assumed the positions of managing the daily operations, police said, and one appointed himself general manager "without election or consent from the board." Police said board members contacted police in 2024 after they "became concerned with the maintenance and deterioration of the hall and the transparency of financial documents, which led to the discovery of a significant amount of missing funds." Police allege more than $66,000 was embezzled between 2022 and 2024. Mizera and Bredo have filed a $3.5-million lawsuit against the police and the association, alleging corruption. Now, police said that after further investigation, Easthope was also charged. "It is believed the chairperson of Discover Bowness, the business name associated with events hosted at the Bowness Ratepayers Scouts and Lions Hall, later rebranded as BowCommons, directly benefited from and was complicit in fraudulent activity without reporting it to police," police said in a release.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Planned city council candidate named as suspect in Bowness non-profit embezzlement case
A planned candidate for Calgary city council faces a charge of fraud, accused of embezzling more than $66,000 from a Bowness non-profit. A planned candidate for Calgary city council faces a charge of fraud, accused of embezzling more than $66,000 from a Bowness non-profit. Calgary police announced the arrest of Shawna Easthope on Monday afternoon. The 61-year-old woman joins Nathan Michael Mizera, 41, and Joshua Tyler Bredo, 40, all now facing charges of fraud over $5,000. 'After further investigation, it is believed the chairperson of Discover Bowness, the business name associated with events hosted at the Bowness Ratepayers Scouts and Lions Hall, later rebranded as BowCommons, directly benefitted from and was complicit in fraudulent activity without reporting it to police,' a statement read. According to police, Bowness Ratepayers Scout and Guide Hall Association directors were approached by two men in 2022 about rebranding and handing off day-to-day operations. The hall became BowCommon, with events hosted under Discover Bowness. Police say they were contacted in April 2024, after 'a significant amount of missing funds' was discovered. Police say investigation placed the missing amount at more than $66,000. It's believed this was done 'by hosting events using organization funds without paying attributed fees, falsifying documents to obtain financial control and creating false receipts for services never rendered, which were then sent to fabricated email addresses and deposited into their personal bank accounts.' Following their own charges, Mizera and Bredo issued a joint statement in which they denied any wrongdoing and accused a pair of police officers of targeting them and of corruption. 'The allegations against us are entirely false and have no credible evidentiary foundation,' the statement read. Regarding Easthope's charge, Mizera and Bredo issued another joint statement: 'Calgarians should be paying very close attention to what's happening here. This is what happens when a police badge is used as both a sword and a shield — not to serve justice, but to silence those who seek it," the statement read. Easthope is listed as a planned candidate for city councillor in Ward 1 in the next municipal election. Mizera is listed as a planned candidate for public school board trustee in wards 1 and 2 in the next municipal election. Bredo was sentenced in June 2017 for the August 2011 manslaughter of a Revelstoke man in Victoria, following a guilty plea. Taking time served into consideration, Bredo was released in November 2018. All three are scheduled to appear in court in Calgary on Aug. 6.
