Under the circumstances, the verdict was probably the best Krystyna Dolasinski could have hoped to hear.
The former Port Arthur Polish Hall office manager on Thursday was found guilty of theft and fraud under $5,000 and falsifying documents, but as defence attorney Chris Watkins said, the jury apparently agreed with his argument that she wasn’t the one who siphoned up to $140,000 from the organization’s coffers. The charge of fraud under $5,000 was later stayed.
Dolasinksi had originally been charged with theft over $5,000 and fraud over $5,000, in addition to the falsifying documents charge the jury returned a guilty verdict on.
“Ms. Dolasinski has not become the fall person or the fall guy for this much larger sum of money,” Watkins said. “It’s always been our position that she was not responsible for this significant sum of money and apparently the jury felt that she was not beyond a reasonable doubt and I’m very satisfied with the result, professionally.”
Watkins said it will be up to Dolasinski to decide whether or not to appeal the decision.
Watkins said it was his belief all along the jury could be convinced not to convict on the more serious charges his client was facing.
“There was some expectation that there were hope from the defence’s standpoint that they would not convict of fraud or theft over ($5,000). And that’s the end result,” Watkins said.
“From my position it’s that it’s a good and fair result and we move on from here into the sentencing phase.”
Dolaskinski was the office manager for the Port Arthur Polish Alliance Branch No. 19 from 2000 until September 2006, and according to testimony heard during the four-week trial, bank statements produced from January to September 2005 showed the hall’s bank accounts go from $46,000 to $0, with many of the withdrawals listed as transfers to the hall’s operating account.
Polish Hall financial secretary Donna Wronowski testified that it appeared the date written under the received stamp on each transfer was in Dolasinski’s handwriting.
Throughout the trial Watkins maintained the possibility that someone else was responsible for the majority of the fraud.
As the verdict was delivered to Judge Doug Shaw on Thursday, Dolasinski, a smart-looking middle-aged woman, bowed her head and appeared to be shaking visibly.
Her hands quickly went to her face as she appeared to be wiping away traces of tears from her eyes for a brief moment, before regaining her composure and listening to Watkins ask the Crown to consolidate the fraud, theft and falsifying document charges into one charge for purposes of sentencing, which will be conducted on Sept. 13.
“I think Ms. Dolasinski, at this point, subject to having it reviewed for appeal purposes, is very relieved to be through this process.
“She spoke to me and she indicated that she was glad that the trial was drawing to a conclusion. It’s been six years that this has been hanging over her head. The process has been long. We ended up with almost a four-week complete jury trial,” Watkins said.
Dolasinski, after being excused from the courtroom, made a hasty exit out of the courthouse and was not available for comment.
