# Former honoured citizen charged with fraud



## MARS (2 Oct 2009)

Did not see this posted anywhere.  Shared with the usuual caveats.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/former-honoured-citizen-charged-with-fraud/article1309256/
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Former honoured citizen charged with fraud 

Burlington's citizen of the year for 1998 accused of defrauding the local Royal Canadian Army Cadet corporation of tens of thousands of dollars

Timothy Appleby

Toronto — From Friday's Globe and Mail 
Last updated on Friday, Oct. 02, 2009 02:48AM EDT


From banker to college lecturer, from Crime Stoppers activist and cancer society volunteer to president of the local Progressive Conservative association, retired army major Stuart Chapman has chalked up enough accomplishments to earn him a spot in Who's Who and, in 1998, to be named Burlington's citizen of the year.

But on Wednesday a less welcome distinction awaited Mr. Chapman, 75.

He was arrested and charged with defrauding the local Royal Canadian Army Cadet corporation of tens of thousands of dollars.

The organization is financially supported by the City of Burlington, and the money was found to be missing during the course of an audit.

“The army cadet [corporation] came to police back in the spring of this year regarding some irregularities in their bookkeeping,” said Detective Duncan Taylor of Halton Regional Police.

“Our investigation revealed that Mr. Chapman was a volunteer there who was responsible for maintaining the funds for the cadets and that he had [allegedly] been paying himself to the sum of just over $19,000, and there was also some other army cadet money that had gone to his personal bank cards.”

In all, the alleged theft amounted to about $36,000, Det. Taylor said.

A decorated former member of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and communications consultant who lists his hobbies in Who's Who as golf and antique cars, Mr. Chapman is charged with breach of trust, making a false statement in writing and three counts of fraud over $5,000.

He could not be reached for comment.

“I don't believe he wishes to speak to the media,” said a woman who answered the phone at his Burlington home.

Mr. Chapman has no criminal record, but displayed no great surprise at being arrested and charged, Det. Taylor said.

“He knew there was an investigation ongoing.”

Nor are police aware of any unusual financial pressures that might have prompted the alleged theft,

“I wouldn't want to speculate,” Det. Taylor said.

“I long ago I stopped trying to figure out why people do what they do. I just go where the evidence shows us to go.”
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