A 45-year-old Deloraine woman has been sentenced to nearly two years of house arrest after admitting to defrauding over $53,000 from two local organizations. Former Economic Development Officer for the Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester, Liza Park, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud over $5,000 for embezzling more than $18,000 from Prairie Gateway Tourism and over $35,000 from the Deloraine Minor Ball Association. The RM of Wallace-Woodward partners with the Town of Virden each year to boost tourism in their area through their Prairie Gateway Tourism incentive. The investigation began in September 2023 when the Town of Virden’s CAO reported suspected fraud at Prairie Gateway Tourism. RCMP accessed spreadsheets revealing approximately $16,000 in questionable transactions. A formal statement was later provided to Virden RCMP. Park had worked full-time in the Town of Virden’s economic development office for four years until April 2021. She continued as a contractor with Prairie Gateway Tourism until September 2023. During this time, she managed the organization’s finances remotely and was the sole individual with access to its online banking. Between March 2022 and September 2023, Park transferred funds to herself totaling more than $18,000. In a separate case, Deloraine Minor Ball president Paul Artz delivered a community impact statement detailing the consequences of Park’s theft of over $35,000. Park had served as treasurer for the volunteer-run organization for nearly a decade. Artz shared the Minor Ball organization had gone without diamond upgrades and without new and safer equipment over a span of multiple years. He said suspicions arose when a local business contacted the Deloraine ball club about an unpaid bill. The investigation revealed funds had been stolen over years without any way of knowing exactly how much money was taken out of the bank account due to the bookkeeping practices that lacked full disclosure of transactions made. Park's Defence lawyer, Anthony Dawson, confirmed he had received the funds to pay restitution to the two organizations she had defrauded. Judge John Combs sentenced Park to a conditional sentence of just under two years in Killarney on Tuesday, October 14th. For the charges of Fraud over $5,000, from Jan 01, 2017 to Jan 27, 2023, with respect to the Deloraine Minor Ball Association, Park plead guilty to the charges brought against her. As a result, the following penalties were imposed: She received a Conditional Sentence Order (CSO) of 18 months. The total duration of the CSO is two years less one day. She was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of $200, with two months granted as time to pay. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,324.57 as a stand-alone order, with payment due immediately. Also, on October 14th, for the charges of Fraud over $5,000, from March 9, 2022 to Sept 4, 2023, with respect to Prairie Gateway Tourism Park pleaded guilty to the charges brought against her. The following sentencing details were recorded: Conditional Sentence Order (CSO) of 6 months, to be served consecutively. Total CSO duration: 2 years less one day. Victim surcharge of $200, with time to pay (TTP) granted for two months. Restitution in the amount of $18,324.57, issued as a stand-alone order, with TTP due immediately (forthwith).