Multiple frauds results in 15-month conditional sentence

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on January 6, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

An Edmonton woman who committed several frauds in southern Alberta more than a year ago and was caught with thousands of dollars worth of stolen property, has been placed on house arrest.

Denise Rae Larouche, 42, was given a 15-month conditional sentence after she pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court to one charge of possession of stolen property over $5,000, two charges of possession of stolen property under $5,000, and three charges of fraud over $5,000.

Larouche will be subject to house arrest during the first five months of her conditional sentence, followed by five months of curfew everyday between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

During an investigation by RCMP between April and June 2021 police began watching two men and a woman who were staying at the Super 8 hotel in Lethbridge. On June 3 RCMP stopped the individuals near Grassy Lake while they were travelling in a stolen Dodge pickup truck towing a stolen trailer that was carrying a stolen generator.

Larouche, who was driving the truck, co-operated with police and was arrested, but the two men, Mark Boivin and Nathan Thomas Roscovich, took off and led police on a high-speed chase.

Larouche was also implicated with the other accused in three frauds in June of last year, which involved the fraudulent purchase of nearly $12,000 in lumber from Challenger Building Supplies, more than $12,000 worth of items from Nieboer Farm Supplies in Nobleford, and a $5,000 generator from Turple Brothers Ltd., a powersports dealership in Red Deer.

In addition to her house arrest and curfew, Larouche is prohibited from having any contact with Boivin and Roscovich, and she is to remain in Alberta. She must reside at a specific address in Edmonton and not possess anyone else’s identification documents, and she must be assessed and receive treatment and counselling for such things as life skills and substance abuse.

During her period of house arrest Larouche is prohibited from going to any licenced premises whose primary purpose is the sale of alcohol, and she is not to consume any drugs during the entire conditional sentence.

Edmonton lawyer Akram Attia told court his client is remorseful for her actions and is working hard to change her life.

“She’s really trying to clean up her act,” Attia said. “Miss Larouche clearly was not the mastermind of these frauds and the possession.”

Attia noted Larouche has been clean and sober since her arrest, and is willing to take treatment and counselling.

“She realizes that she has to get a handle on her addiction issue.”

Additional charges of drug possession, possession of stolen property under $5,000, fraud over $5,000 and fraud under $5,000, were withdrawn.

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