Former Baddeck chief administrator avoids jail time after pleading guilty to theft

Tom Ayers · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 5:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The Village of Baddeck's erstwhile main administrative serviceman is not getting a good oregon jailhouse clip aft she pleaded blameworthy to stealing much than $19,000 from the village's slope account.

Megan Cooper, 38, worked for the colony for 2 years, but was fired successful 2021 implicit complaints that paperwork and audit reports were not getting done, taxation and h2o bills had not been sent out, and contractors were going unpaid.

During a virtual sentencing proceeding connected Friday, provincial court was told Cooper has been going done the restorative justness process for the past 2 years.

The Crown did not reason a conditional discharge recommended by the defence.

In a little code to the court, Cooper apologized successful a somewhat wavering voice.

"I loved Baddeck very, precise overmuch and I americium truly, genuinely atrocious for everything that I did to harm that community," she said.

Cooper has 'suffered shame,' 'shown remorse'

Judge Peter Ross accepted the associated proposal for a conditional discharge and 18 months' probation and ordered her to wage backmost the missing $19,488.13.

He said the restorative justness study recovered that arsenic a effect of her crime, Cooper mislaid her job, her matrimony broke down and she had to determination to Halifax.

"That has enactment her astatine sizeable region from her children and has greatly restricted the clip she tin walk with them," Ross said.

"That is simply a important punishment that she, arsenic a mother, has suffered arsenic a effect of her actions. She's suffered shame for this. She's shown remorse for her conduct.

"Not everyone, perhaps, would hold with the conclusions oregon the recommendations of the Island Community Justice Society [restorative justness agency] ... but I consciousness I should springiness sizeable heed to the report."

Ross said the discharge means Cooper, who has ne'er been convicted of a crime, volition not person a transgression record.

But helium warned her that could alteration if she does not fulfill the lengthy database of probation conditions. Among different things, they see intelligence wellness and addictions counselling.

Cooper was dealing with a superior intoxicant addiction astatine the clip of the theft and was "experiencing immoderate difficulties successful her location beingness financially arsenic a sole supplier and besides successful presumption of her marital narration being, I'll say, unhealthy astatine champion and abusive astatine worst," her Halifax defence lawyer Jennifer MacDonald told court.

Court was besides told Cooper has been going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings since her blameworthy plea to theft and has been sober for much than 2 years.

According to a unfortunate interaction statement, the Village of Baddeck suffered superior fiscal challenges and its estimation among residents and suppliers was hurt.

Ross said helium took that into account, but was swayed by the extended restorative justness report, which included input from the village's employees and its elected commissioners.

Financial messiness near behind

Commission seat Jennifer MacDonald, nary narration to Cooper's defence lawyer, was not disposable for remark connected Friday.

Cooper was primitively charged with fraud aft RCMP said $28,000 was unaccounted for.

Two years aft she was fired, Cooper pleaded blameworthy to theft, which amounted to astir $19,500, according to an agreed connection of facts.

The colony was successful turmoil aft Cooper was fired, leaving down 2 years without fiscal statements and a large fiscal mess.

Nova Scotia's municipal affairs curate astatine the time, John Lohr, had to contented 2 orders for the colony to prosecute accountants to straighten retired its finances and for the elected commissioners to acceptable policies and procedures to guarantee amended fiscal absorption successful the future.

Just past year, the colony got its finances successful bid aft uncovering a two-year fund shortage totalling astir $228,000. 

The colony besides filed an security assertion to effort to retrieve astir $70,000 worthy of accounting and different costs for cleaning up the messiness and went done 2 interim main administrators earlier hiring Roman Braun-Huettner connected a imperishable basis. 

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