Denise Whalen |
By Darlene Casten
Reporter
Okotoks residents victimized in an employment scam may finally have their money back in their pockets.
Denise Whalen was sentenced to pay back her victims and spend 45 days in jail for the scam that started with an employment ad in the Western Wheel.
In 2003 police laid 13 fraud charges based on complaints from Okotokians who thought they had landed a job, but instead had been taken in and defrauded.
All of the victims had job interviews with Whalen, who told them they would be driving cars across the U.S. border to American buyers. She asked them each to pay $240 for transit visas.
It was proven at trial that Whalen had not attempted to apply for the visas.
Whalen was convicted a year ago after more than 30 court appearances.
By that time more than half the charges had been dropped as people left the area and lost contact with police.
Whalen then failed to appear for her sentencing and was later arrested and released. She again failed to appear for her second sentencing date and was arrested again and held in jail.
Judge P.M. McIlhargey told Whalen the fact that she had stolen money from people looking for work was particularly disturbing.
“Her victims were vulnerable,” McIlhargey said during the sentencing. “They needed money.”
Whalen holds a bachelor of economics and could find honest work, he continued.
“The question that puzzled me is why - why you did this?” he asked.
McIlhargey said the scam was both sophisticated and simple. Whalen had forms for the applicants to fill out, but also conducted the interviews in her own home and in person.
“They knew where she was and where to find her,” McIlhargey pointed out.
Whalen was ordered to pay restitution, serve another 15 days in jail and complete 40 hours of community hours.
She was given two-for-one credit for the 15 days she has already spent at the Calgary Remand Centre.
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