The former executive director of the Regina Sexual Assault Centre has received a three-year jail sentence for bilking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the non-profit group.
Debra House pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000 Thursday in Regina Provincial Court. House, 64, admitted to defrauding the centre of more than $700,000, which she spent on trips to Las Vegas and other luxuries.
“I am embarrassed and ashamed of what I did,” House said in court. “I know that I let you all down.”
In a statement released Thursday, the Regina Sexual Assault Centre says staff are “relieved” that the court process is behind them.
“It was deeply distressing to learn that a trusted individual who we saw at work each day could be capable of such wrongdoing,” the statement read.
“Most significantly, Ms. House did not just steal from an organization; she stole from each individual who came through our doors or called our crisis line. She stole from the very people she was employed to help.”
The centre says it has since made significant improvements to its financial oversight, including adding board members with extensive risk management and external auditing experience.
House was charged in January after the Regina police commercial crimes unit received information alleging a senior employee had defrauded the centre. It was alleged that the offences occurred between 2009 and June 2016.
With files from CTV Regina's Dale Hunter
