Ex-N.L. politician Collins jailed in fraud case

Another former politician in the spending scandal in Newfoundland and Labrador is going to jail.

Randy Collins, who was the NDP member for Labrador West, was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John's Friday to 21 months on a charge of fraud over $5,000, He was also sentenced to18 months on a charge of fraud on the government.

The time is to be served concurrently.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Lois Hoegg told court that Collins was "not only a lawmaker, but a custodian of the rule of law."

"If this is not done," she said, referring to her decision to give Collins jail time, "how will the people of the province who work hard for their pay and to make ends meet have respect for the law?"

Hoegg said Collins' crimes were "egregious" and "systematic." She said they involved "scores of false, forged or duplicitous expense claims."

Collins had pleaded guilty to the charges.

Agreed to repay most of $360,000

During a sentencing hearing in mid-December, he agreed to repay most of the $360,000 he received in connection with the house of assembly spending scandal.

An agreed statement of facts at that time revealed that Collins submitted falsified, forged or duplicitous expense claims for which he was reimbursed more than $100,000.

He also admitted to submitting receipts for payments to people for work that was never done, and that he forged the signatures on fake receipts, sometimes with false names.

The Crown was seeking jail time of 15 months to 24 months, in part because of the high-profile position he held in public office.

Collins's lawyer, Ed Hearn, argued that a conditional sentence would be appropriate, given that Collins pleaded guilty and was paying the money back.

The auditor general reported that Collins received nearly $360,000 from his constituency allowance that he wasn't entitled to. He resigned in 2007, a year after being named in the scandal.

A timeline presented to the court showed that Collins started bribing Bill Murray, a senior civil servant who also faces criminal charges, less than three years after entering politics.

'Violated that office'

Collins was first elected in February 1999.

"Mr. Collins has violated that office and breached a very important public trust," Hoegg said in her ruling.

Hoegg said that Collins committed "many individual acts of deceit," and that his crimes "cannot be described as an out-of-character act of desperation."

The court also ordered him to repay nearly $140,000.

He has repaid $90,000 so far. He is selling his home and has agreed to use the proceeds to repay the money.

Four former politicians, a former administrative officer at the legislature and a St. John's businessman were all charged after the auditor general uncovered millions of dollars of questionable or illegal spending.