A North Vancouver man who scammed provincial coffers out of more than $17,000 through welfare fraud has been handed an 11-month conditional sentence, including six months of house arrest, by a provincial court judge.
Judge John Milne handed John David Holm, 53, the sentence after Holm pleaded guilty April 9 to a charge of fraud over $5,000 in North Vancouver provincial court.
Holm defrauded the government over three years - between January 2009 and March 2012 - by not declaring income that he was supposed to.
Holm had been a longtime welfare recipient, but was also working and earning money, said Shannon Montgomery, an articling lawyer speaking for the provincial Crown. Holm also received money from family members and a $4,000 settlement from ICBC, which he also didn't declare, said Montgomery.
She said Holm had previously been investigated by the ministry and had been forced to pay money back, so was aware of the need to declare any income that he earned.
"This money comes from the public purse" and is meant to go to "the neediest people in society," said Montgomery.
"The system works only if people using it are honest."
She said actions like Holm's only serve to confirm prejudices of those who look down on people receiving social assistance as "people stealing from the system."
Holm was eventually flagged for investigation after bureaucrats noticed discrepancies between his tax records and social assistance documents.
Montgomery said as a result of the fraud, Holm was banned from receiving further regular social assistance payments. He can still apply for a special "hardship" allowance, she added.
Speaking in Holm's defence, articling lawyer Jacqueline Halliburn said Holm has struggled with mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse much of his life.
Halliburn said Holm went on a booze and cocaine bender in March 2012 before deciding to turn his life around and going to a recovery house. She said he has been clean and sober for the last two years, works and volunteers at several recovery houses and has started to pay back the money to the province.
Milne ordered Holm to abide by a curfew for the last five months of his sentence and to serve one year's probation. He also ordered him to complete 60 hours of community work service, stay away from drugs and alcohol and pay back the province almost $17,000.
