21 hours ago
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.
