Former director of First Nations Employment Society in B.C. facing fraud charge

A B.C. resident who worked for a First Nation organization has been charged with fraud after allegedly spending nearly three-quarters of a million dollars on the company’s credit card during a five-year span.

On Friday, B.C. RCMP announced that Norma Jenny Bird of Delta, B.C., was charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. The amount of fraud totalled just over $740,000.

According to police, Bird was the former executive director of the First Nations Employment Society (FNES) from 2008 until the end of its operations in March 2015.

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RCMP say FNES represented 10 First Nations plus on-and-off reserve people residing in the Vancouver and Sunshine Coast areas. It also managed an agreement with Service Canada for training and employment in the area.

“The offence is alleged to have occurred during a period from October 2010 to March 2015,” said B.C. RCMP.

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“Several audits into the organization’s spending found that Bird allegedly used the organization’s credit card for personal use. The amount of the alleged fraud is $743,295.69.”

Bird’s first court appearance will be in Vancouver provincial court on May 29.

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