Former government employee Oates sentenced to 15 months for fraud

leaderpost.com Published:Â Friday, July 04, 2008 REGINA -- Brenda Oates, a former Saskatchewan government employee, has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for fraud. Oates was in the Court of Queen's Bench this morning for her sentencing. The former office manager with Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management was charged after a massive investigation found she took around $500,000 of provincial government money. The fraud began in 1999 and spanned until 2004. Oates pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000 in March. A break-and-enter charge against her was stayed in April. In May, she told the court she is a gambling addict. The court has heard that Oates was a frequent visitor to the casino between 1999 and 2004. She was also diagnosed as a pathological gambler. The Crown was seeking 18 months to two years in jail while... [read full story]