Charlie faces year in jail for part in fraud case

The final person accused in a major welfare fraud scheme on the Fort William First Nation learned her fate Wednesday at the Superior Court of Justice in Thunder Bay.  

A judge sentenced 67-year-old Patricia Charlie, the eighth person convicted in the $1.2-million dollar fraud case, to a year of jail time and ordered her to make restitution payments of more than $51,000 to the province.  

Charlie was arrested in 2006, along with 11 other people in the case.  

She was charged with fraud over $5,000.

In court Wednesday, the judge said Charlie was an integral part of the scheme and therefore was sentenced to serve time in prison instead of being given a conditional sentence. 

Seven other people have already been sentenced, while four of the original accused had their charges dropped. 

Upon her release, Charlie will not have to serve any time on probation.