Woman stole from elderly to feed gambling addiction

Woman guilty of defrauding elderly Curve Lake First Nations women of thousands of dollars
Woman who stole to feed gambling addition sentenced to two years of probation
By FIONA ISAACSON/Examiner Court Writer

A 62-year-old Curve Lake woman who stole more than $13,000 from elderly residents "in her care and trust" was sentenced to two years of probation Friday.

Gloria Coppaway, who was the senior services co-ordinator at Curve Lake First Nation, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of theft over $5,000.

"I'm very sorry for what I've done for not only my family but the people in my community," Coppaway told the court. (She continued speaking for a few more seconds but could not be heard from the court gallery).

Her lawyer Dick Boriss showed the court he had cheques covering the entire amount that was stolen from three elderly seniors.

“A gambling addiction is no different from any other addiction. It’s something you’ll probably have to struggle with for the rest of your life.”

Madam Justice Esther Rosenberg

Court heard Coppaway initially only intend to "borrow" the money for a gambling addiction but it "snowballed."

A family member alerted the Anishinabek Police Service in October about missing money. When Coppaway was questioned by police she immediately confessed to not only stealing from one family but two others, court heard.

The transactions were made in various ways. The total theft was $13,073. The victims were a 98-year-old woman who lost $200, an 83-year-old man who lost $4,000 and an 84-year-old woman who lost $8,873.

The thefts took place between September 2008 and October 2010.

The Crown wanted a six-month jail sentence because of the breach of trust and the length of time the thefts took place.

Coppaway's duties included managing the Curve Lake First Nation Senior Citizen Centre. She held the position for 11 years until she was charged last fall.

Madam Justice Esther Rosenberg acknowledged Coppaway stole from "very vulnerable individuals in her care and trust" and that it was a "substantial amount of money."

However, because of Coppaway's "positive and excellent" pre-sentence report, where she is described as a "honest and gentle person" and that she has given back to her community throughout her entire life, Rosenberg said she was satisfied a suspended sentence was appropriate.


Coppaway has been attending Fourcast Addiction Services for counselling.

"A gambling addiction is no different from any other addiction," Rosenberg said.

"It's something you'll probably have to struggle with for the rest of your life."

Boriss said Coppaway wanted to plead guilty as soon as possible.

"She feels terrible about this," Boriss said. "She was the go to person in the community when people had problems."

Coppaway must attend counselling for gambling and other issues as identified by her probation officer and must also sign an agreement, within 45 days, with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to stay out of all gambling facilities in the province.