The non-profit organization in charge of making sure Lions Gate Hospital has adequate equipment could be out at least $10,000 thanks to an alleged fraud.
The Lions Gate Hospital Foundation held its annual golf tournament fundraiser at the Capilano Golf and Country Club on Monday with an aim of finishing its campaign to buy a new CT scanner for Lions Gate.
But one supposed highrolling attendee has so far not made good on his $50,000-pledge. He also allegedly defrauded the club's pro shop by running up expenses on a nonexistent account, which the foundation is now picking up the tab for.
Christian Richardson, a man in his mid 30s, first approached Joanne McLellan, the foundation's director of gift planning, the week before the tourney asking for an exclusive sponsorship role and four spots in the tournament, worth $10,000, as a part of his $50,000 pledge.
Richardson told McLellan he had grown up in her neighbourhood of Capilano Highlands and was a member of the scout troop her husband led as a kid.
"He kind of sounded like a spoiled rich kid but he had some background in the neighbourhood," she said.
On the day of the tournament, Richardson rang up a $551-bill for clothing and golf balls and asked that they be charged to his account at a Calgary golf club. When staff contacted the club, they were told Richardson is not a member there.
When McLellan pursued him for the money he had pledged, Richardson gave her the runaround, promising the cheque was coming, she said. So far, no cheque has arrived. McLellan said she's never had to pursue anyone who's pledged support for money before.
McLellan said she's since learned Richardson was on parole from a previous fraud conviction at the time of the tournament - information confirmed by Corrections Canada. There is also a warrant out for the arrest of someone with the same name, according to Corrections.
This is the first time the foundation has found itself in this kind of mess, McLellan said. "We're in the fundraising business. We're used to people coming to us, out of the goodness of their hearts, giving money to a cause that they believe in to get better healthcare in our community. We're not used to people who are trying to do something (like this)," she said.
McLellan said she wants other non-profits to be on the lookout for similar scams in the future.
West Vancouver police and North Vancouver RC MP both say they have received a complaint about the incident and that the investigation is still in its early stages. At press time, no charges had been laid.
Richardson did not respond to an interview request but did send two statements via email to say he is not defaulting on his pledges and the statements about him are false.
"At this time I have no comment beyond to say that the matter is being dealt with by my attorney and the pledge is going ahead as planned and the pro shop has been compensated adequately," it read.
But by Friday afternoon, the pro shop manager said the club has yet to received any payment from Richardson.
A man with the name Christian Richardson has been sentenced for previous fraud convictions in B.C. and Alberta, including a 2011 case in Calgary for which he received a three-year prison sentence for bilking real estate investors for tens of thousand of dollars.
The happy aside from the fiasco is the tournament itself was otherwise successful, bringing in almost $563,000.
That's the most ever in the 18-year history of the tournament, said Louise Campbell, director of donor relations.
Campbell said that means the hospital foundation can buy a new CT scanner for the hospital.
