$634,250 to feed gambling addiction

The cost of Gambling Addiction is the same everywhere.

Ex-addictions counsellor stole to feed gambling addiction

EDMONTON – An Edmonton judge must now decide whether or not a former high-ranking Alberta civil servant who pilfered $634,000 from the province should be put behind bars.

On Monday, the Crown argued Lloyd Carr - the former executive director in charge of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission’s tobacco reduction unit - should get a prison term of between three and five years.

However, a lawyer for the 46-year-old disgraced bureaucrat, now living in Manitoba, suggested he be given a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community.

Ironically, the ex-addictions counsellor claims he committed the massive fraud to fuel his gambling addiction.

But, the Crown disputes that and points to a civil trial spawned from a lawsuit against Carr launched by AADAC in which Carr falsely argued he was coerced into stealing the money by then AADAC CEO Murray Finnerty to illegally finance a bid by former Alberta treasurer Jim Dinning for the leadership of the provincial Tories.

Carr pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000 on Feb. 19.

According to agreed facts, Carr worked for AADAC from prior to 2001 until

2005 when he was appointed executive director responsible for AADAC’s tobacco reduction unit.

Between 2003 and 2006, AADAC entered into grant agreements with Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Alberta Lung Association and payments were made.

However, Carr set up fraudulent contracts for work that was never done to divert the cash from the commission and into his own pockets .

In total, AADAC was defrauded of $634,250. After various payments were made to the Lung Association and a friend of Carr’s who was a go-between for payments, Carr netted $481,413. That money has never been accounted for.

The fraud was discovered after AADAC officials became suspicious of Carr’s behaviour and advised the Auditor General’s office, who began an investigation.

A 2006 report by Alberta Auditor General Fred Dunn detailed the scam and also found Carr had a prior criminal record for theft and did not have a bachelor of social work as he had claimed in his job application.

Court heard the AADAC lawsuit was settled when Carr agreed to pay $375,000 in restitution from the sale of the St. Albert home he owned with this wife.

Crown counsel Greg Lepp argued Carr stole an “enormous amount of money” over a period of years and said the theft was a breach of trust and “motivated by greed.” Lepp also said it was aggravating that Carr “spun a web of lies” about who stole the money and why and used others as pawns to aid him in the theft and to “cover his tracks.” Defence lawyer Daryl Royer said Carr, the father of two teens, has been working as a painter in Swan River and is heavily involved in his church. He noted his guilty plea and the restitution made and said a community-based sentence would allow him to support his family.

Carr told court he accepts responsibility for his actions and is prepared to pay his debt to society.

A sentencing decision is slated for Friday.