A former treasurer of the Coquitlam Little League (CLL) who stole from the youth organization for years was sentenced this morning, Nov. 13, at Port Coquitlam Provincial Court.
Terri April Michael, 66, was sentenced to two years less a day at home under a conditional sentence order — that is, a jail term to be served as house arrest and under strict conditions.
This includes that Michael:
- undertake 100 hours of community work
- repay $163,041
- continue with counselling
- abide by a curfew
- report to a court supervisor
Michael, who wept while the sentencing was handed down, declined to speak with the Tri-City News after the decision.
Crown Counsel Jim Bird asked Surrey Provincial Court Judge Peter La Prairie for the fraud charge against Michael be stayed.
The court heard how Michael stole $273,752 between 2014 and 2020 by writing 342 CLL cheques to herself to allegedly pay family debt.
Bird said Michael repaid about $110,000 after she was arrested; however, the league’s president, Sandon Fraser, told the Tri-City News that it has not received anything back.
In a victim impact statement to the court, Fraser said the league, players and volunteers have suffered as a result of Michael’s theft.
“This has been a long journey for everyone involved,” Fraser told the Tri-City News today.
“Coquitlam Little League is thankful for the RCMP and everyone who has support CLL along the way. We are glad to see some legal resolution so we can move forward and continue to focus on offering the best experience possible for youth in the Tri-Cities.”
Sentencing reasons
La Prairie said he took into account the financial loss of the league, a nonprofit started in Coquitlam in 1955 that had no insurance for fraud at the time of Michael’s offence. The organization serves about 700 child and youth baseball players a year.
The judge commented on the operational cuts and changes CLL faced when it learned in 2020 that Michael had been stealing; this included hiring fewer umpires and buying less equipment.
He also noted that despite her $1,000 a month gaming habit and her fear she would be caught by CLL, Michael continued to take from the youth group while she was in a position of trust.
As for mitigating factors, the judge said the Port Moody Secondary graduate and mother of two is remorseful. She has had no criminal record, pleaded guilty to theft and is willing to repay the outstanding funds, he said.
The judge said the registered nurse retired last year as the director of a care home and has a pension of $4,000 a month.
According to medical reports, she has multiple sclerosis and mental health issues, La Prairie noted.
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