Former GM of Clearwater River Dene First Nation enters guilty plea to fraud
A man responsible for defrauding a northern Saskatchewan First Nation, while employed as their general manager, has been placed on probation for 30 months and ordered to pay back $13,000.
Jonny Cheecham appeared Friday afternoon at Court of Queen’s Bench in Battleford, and entered a guilty plea to a single count of fraud over $5,000. At the time of his arrest in 2020, Cheecham was 61.
The case itself dates back to July 2014, when La Loche RCMP received a report of fraudulent activity committed by Cheecham between 2008 and 2011.
The Prince Albert RCMP General Investigation Section and the La Loche RCMP Detachment conducted a thorough investigation, which included numerous interviews and a forensic audit. The audit revealed over $1 million in losses to the Clearwater River Dene First Nation.