Two-Year Community Sentence For Accused In Redcliff Legion Fraud Case

A city woman facing criminal charges involving embezzling nearly $63,000 from the Redcliff Legion will avoid jail if she lives up to the terms of a two-year community sentence order.

Kristine Nicole Huff, 34, was initially charged in 2024 with fraud and theft over $5,000 connected to allegations she stole funds during her employment as treasurer of the Redcliff Legion.

A trial date had been scheduled for next week but a guilty plea and joint sentence submission to theft over $5,000 entered Thursday precluded its necessity.

In coming to a resolution which will see Huff serve her sentence in the community, the court heard there were issues with the Crown’s case due to disclosure failures. Those issues saw Huff’s March trial date postponed and threatened her right to a speedy trial outlined in the Supreme Court’s Jordan decision as it wasn’t clear if the disclosure concerns had been rectified.

Crown Sara Lewans told the court that for two years between March 2020 and 2022, Huff utilized her position of trust in managing the Legion’s finances to steal nearly $64,000. But taking into account Huff’s statements to investigators, issues with disclosure and the guilty plea to theft over $5,000, she and defence lawyer Lyndon Heidinger came to the joint resolution submission.

Heidinger told the court his client was “deeply remorseful” for her actions, was dealing with both personal and multiple family members health concerns and was, “overwhelmed trying to survive.”

Addressing Huff directly, provincial court Justice Gordon Krinke outlined the impact of Huff’s actions, particularly in that it involved a Royal Canadian Legion.

He noted the Brooks Legion in the nearby community which Krinke is from is just one of many in the country facing financial challenges.

Krinke, addressing Huff as she appeared to wipe away tears, said the Legion, “serves a population which does not have a lot of places to go.”

Addressing directly former Redcliff Legion president Lee Sanders who had filed a victim impact statement outlining the harms of Huff’s actions, Krinke stated, “it’s something you shouldn’t have had to put up with.”

As part of her sentence, the. unemployed Huff will be required to make minimum payments of $500 per month for the next two years or face the prospects of serving the two-year sentence in jail. The community sentence will also see Huff subject to house arrest for the first six-months with some exceptions which will require prior approval outside emergencies.

That will be followed by a nightly curfew in addition to the $9,000 restitution required to be paid back to the Legion by March 2027.

A standalone restitution order for the remaining funds will still be required to be addressed.

Outside the court, Redcliff Legion members told the Owl of the struggles the embezzlement has caused the organization but also of the support the town has shown to the organization.

Longtime member Darryl Eagles said it was a “double whammy” having to have dealt with the challenges of COVID only to emerge from that facing the embezzlement of tens of thousands of dollars.

“We struggled to pay bills,” said Eagles, adding the Redcliff Legion was able to overcome the situation thanks to volunteers and it continues to be the “heart of the community.”

“We held our heads up and our volunteers and community turned up,” said Eagles. “The Legion is the pride and joy of Redcliff.”

Sanders said he was satisfied with the verdict, stating, “justice was served.”