A Crown prosecutor has once again asked a judge to send two men who ripped off two aboriginal organizations for close to $1 million to jail.
Crown counsel Brian McKinley asked for jail terms for Craig Ashley Morrison, 34 - who diverted the money over a five-year period while he worked as a bookkeeper for the West Vancouver-based Aboriginal Council and Aboriginal Fisheries Commission - and for Morrison's cousin, 56-year-old Dennis James Wells.
Morrison used his position as a trusted employee to divert more than $911,000 of the organizations' government funding to Wells' bank account. Some of the money was diverted through direct transfers, while other sums came through cheques with forged signatures. Wells then funnelled half of the cash back to Morrison.
Morrison created false invoices for researchers and consultants in order to balance the books.
The hearing before B.C. Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen on Friday is the second time McKinley has laid out the facts of the case before a judge.
An earlier sentencing hearing in June before B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brian Joyce was abruptly adjourned after Morrison fired his lawyer part way through submissions.
In total there were 199 fraudulent transfers over the five-year period.
Nobody else who worked at the organizations - which helped native bands research land claims and advocate for fisheries rights - knew the money was being diverted until after Morrison was laid off.
The federal government eventually cut off funding and both organizations collapsed.
A number of emails sent by Morrison to Wells were discovered in Morrison's work computer - including one with the subject line "moola" - detailing the bank transfers and how the money was to be split between the two men.
Later investigation by police showed the emails and amounts discussed corresponded to bank transfers that had deposited money into Wells' account.
McKinley told the judge in the earlier sentencing hearing the thefts destroyed the two organizations, which had served their communities for 30 years.
Other former employees also found it hard to get work after the organizations collapsed, he said.
Morrison's lawyer Isaac Ferby asked for a conditional sentence for his client, to be served under a native community corrections plan including drug treatment, counselling and an apology to all affected native organizations.
Wells' lawyer has not yet made submissions on behalf of his client.
The court case has now been adjourned to a later date.
