The former treasurer who stole more than $100,000 from Comox Valley Raiders Youth Football Club settled out of court this week after she sued the club for overpayment.
Mark Burger, the lawyer for the club confirmed to the Record a dismissal order was filed Thursday for the civil trial, which was set to begin Friday in Courtenay.
Gloria May Rickson was charged in 2011 with theft and fraud over $5,000 - she faced two global counts for more than 60 charges.
Rickson was the accounts secretary for Mark Isfeld Secondary School and secretary-treasurer for CUPE Local 439 according to websites for both organizations, and pled guilty to theft over $5,000 and received a 12-month suspended sentence.
She had previously reached an agreement with the Raiders to pay back $110,000 of the funds the club said she stole.
Originally filed on June 27, 2016 (then amended June 22, 2017), Rickson filed a notice of claim which sought $35,000 - the maximum in small claims court.
She noted in the claim a sum of $14,600 was not credited which had been paid by her lawyer by way of direct deposit. She also explained the club did not credit her for amounts spent on their behalf and added bank charges, accounting fees and supplies.
She said these amounts were not pursued at the time when a confidential settlement was reached.
She also claimed the club and president breached the confidentiality agreement, causing her the loss of permanent long-term employment, mental stress, embarrassment and financial hardship.
According to the Comox Valley RCMP, the police received a public complaint in June 2010 that Rickson, acting as treasurer for the Raiders, repeatedly misappropriated funds from the organization between June 2005 and February 2009 for personal benefit.
The theft was discovered in early 2009 when the club’s new president insisted on a complete accounting of the organization’s records due to their concerns over finances.
Notice of Claim by Erin on Scribd