A former Yorkton provincial election candidate has pleaded guilty to fraud.
Chad Blenkin, who ran for the NDP in 2011, appeared in Yorkton court Aug. 17 where his defence attorney entered pleas on one count of fraud over $5,000 and one count of fraud under $5,000. The Crown adjourned two other charges of trafficking in property obtained by crime and laundering the proceeds of crime until the sentencing hearing, which the judge scheduled for Oct. 12 to allow time for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
The police information, sworn in May, describes two incidences of Blenkin defrauding an individual by diverting funds intended for that person’s business to a numbered company of which the accused was an account holder.
The first incident involved $15,142, the second $1,890.
At the time of the 2011 election, Blenkin was a management consultant in Yorkton and most recently worked in Yorkton in marketing for GX94 and Fox FM.
According to his candidate profile from 2011, he has a history of community involvement with Saskatchewan Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, the Regina Food Bank and the Yorkton Film Festival.
Fraud over $5,000 carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
