No jail time for Kelowna fraudster who swindled $38,000 from work

A Kelowna fraudster will have to pay $1,600 a month or he’s going to jail.

In what lawyers described as an unusual sentencing proposal, convicted fraudster Walter Michael Laskowski was placed on house arrest with the condition he pays $1,600 a month to the former employer he stole $38,000 from.

“He has to pay or he goes into jail,” Crown prosecutor Kevin Short said.

Laskowski has a history of ripping off his employers and appeared at the Kelowna courthouse, April 22, and pleaded guilty to more theft and fraud charges.

The court heard how the 44-year-old had worked for Auction World in Kelowna where he had the authority to buy and sell vehicles.

For a period of more than a year from 2017 to 2018, Laskowski removed 11 vehicles from the company’s inventory and sold them privately.

He’d made about $100,000 doing so and cost the firm $38,000.

There was no explanation given in court about how he managed to remove the vehicles from the company’s inventory without it noticing, but in early 2019 he admitted to the company he’d taken the vehicles.

It’s not clear why it took so long but five years later he was charged with vehicle theft and fraud.

And Laskowski has a history of defrauding his employers.

In 2014, he was sentenced to 16 months jail and ordered to pay back $20,000 which he swiped while working at Moores Clothing for Men store in Kelowna.

Head office had noticed its Kelowna franchise had the highest amount of “inventory shrinkage” of all its stores and began investigating.

Laskowski was convicted of 57 instances of fraudulent behaviour whereby he used his debit card for refunds.

Prior to ripping off the clothing store, Laskowski worked in a management position at Kal Tire where from 2006 to 2009 he defrauded the company of $32,735.

He was later convicted and received one year of house arrest and ordered to pay back the money which he has done.

When in his early 20s he stole from McDonald’s while working there in a management position. He received a 12-month probation order and 50 hours of community work service and being a conditional discharge the conviction has now been scrubbed from his record.

The Crown prosecutor described Laskowski as a “swindler” with a “penchant” for stealing from his employer.

“However, this is a swindler who’s preparing to take full account and plead guilty for what he’s doing,” the Crown said.

The court heard how Laskowski had largely grown up in poverty in Williams Lake in a “bit of a broken home.” His father was an abusive alcoholic and his mother had mental health issues.

He was married with four children and paid his child support.

Defence lawyer Elliot Holzman told the court that at the time of the fraud, Laskowski had significant financial pressure from his extended family. He was supporting his elderly parents and his late sister’s husband whose child was seriously ill.

He was now a self-employed courier and didn’t have access to anyone else’s money. He was working 60 hours a week and doing well.

In addressing the court, Laskowski said he was sorry to Auction World for his actions.

“I’d like to thank my family and friends for their support through this matter, and I look forward to continuing being a positive citizen in my community,” he said.

While the lawyers said that a two-year jail sentence would be appropriate, having Laskowski under house arrest instead but allowed to go to work would mean he could pay back his former employer. If he missed a payment he would be in breach of the house arrest conditions and sent to jail.

Ultimately, BC Provincial Judge Martin Nadon agreed to the sentence which would see Laskowski make $1,600 payments each month for the two years he’s under house arrest.