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Warrant issued for alleged fraudster

A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for a former treasurer of the West Vancouver Otters Swim Club after she failed to show up for her sentencing hearing in B.C. Supreme Court.

A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for a former treasurer of the West Vancouver Otters Swim Club after she failed to show up for her sentencing hearing in B.C. Supreme Court.

Grace Smid, 47, is charged with bilking the swim club out of $100,000 between 2002 and 2006 by allegedly charging personal expenses including groceries, liquor, skiing holidays, hotels and entertainment on the club's credit card.

Swim club members told police they only discovered the items after Smid resigned as treasurer and other members of the executive took a closer look at the books.

Her trial on fraud and impersonation charges was supposed to take place in April of this year. But at the last minute, Smid indicated she would be pleading guilty.

That guilty plea and sentencing was supposed to happen on Tuesday morning before B.C. Supreme Court Justice Nathan Smith. But Smid was a no show. Her lawyer, Ian Donaldson, said he had no idea where she was.

The warrant for Grace Smid's arrest comes just a few months after another judge issued a warrant for her husband Alex Smid's arrest, after he too failed to show up for a court date.

Alex Smid, a former Vancouver stock promoter, was charged with tax fraud in 2002. He was supposed to show up to Robson Street Provincial Court on March 15 but was also a no-show.

jseyd@nsnews.com