Nearly $35K defrauded from Toronto-area Royal Canadian Legion by former branch president, treasurer: police
A Royal Canadian Legion branch in Ontario is seen in this undated photo. (Molly Frommer/CTV News)
The former president and treasurer of a Royal Canadian Legion north of Toronto have been charged with defrauding the branch of nearly $35,000, police say.
York Regional Police issued a news release on Monday saying they began an investigation in January 2022 following a tip they received about a branch of the non-profit Canadian veterans' organization in Vaughan, Ont.
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According to police, the information they received alleged that the legion branch’s former president had written cheques to herself using money from the legion’s account and used the money for “personal use.”
The investigation uncovered that between 2017 and 2019, former president Giuseppina Fedele wrote herself 34 cheques and made seven e-transfers to her own personal account.
Investigators said, in total, Fedele defrauded the legion of more than $33,518.
The branch’s former treasurer, Nicola Pinto, “participated” in the alleged fraud by signing 24 of the cheques, police said.
Fedele, 56, and Pinto, 61, both from Vaughan, Ont. have been charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
In a statement issued to CTV News Toronto, the Ontario Provincial Command of the Royal Canadian Legion said they also became aware of the charges against Fedele and Pinto through the York Regional Police news release.
The investigation is ongoing.
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