Evidence this hobby can be addicting
HCS
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Official bilks gov't to buy sports cards
Hockey-loving bureaucrat charges $185,000 worth of hockey cards to his government credit card.
January 10, 2005: 2:07 PM EST
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian police charged a former senior federal bureaucrat with fraud on Friday, alleging he used government credit cards to fund his passion for collecting sports cards.
Donald Billing, a former director of Measurement Canada, was charged with 11 counts of fraud. Police say he used government credit cards to buy hockey cards valued at approximately C$185,000 ($150,000), and tried to pass off the purchases as office supplies.
"It's certainly different," said Cpl. Howard Adams of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "I don't think there have been many cases where government employees have been purchasing hockey cards."
Christiane Fox, a spokeswoman for Measurement Canada, which ensures the accuracy of meters and scales, said Billing was suspended without pay in September 2003, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. In January 2004, his employment with the agency was terminated and he was reported to the Mounties.
As a result of the case, Fox said: "There's now an increased monitoring of credit card purchases and the number of credit cards in use by Measurement Canada has been reduced by 42 nationally."
When contacted at his Barrie, Ontario, home, Billing refused to comment on the charges. He is to appear in court on Feb. 11.
Hockey-loving bureaucrat charges $185,000 worth of hockey cards to his government credit card.
January 10, 2005: 2:07 PM EST
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian police charged a former senior federal bureaucrat with fraud on Friday, alleging he used government credit cards to fund his passion for collecting sports cards.
Donald Billing, a former director of Measurement Canada, was charged with 11 counts of fraud. Police say he used government credit cards to buy hockey cards valued at approximately C$185,000 ($150,000), and tried to pass off the purchases as office supplies.
"It's certainly different," said Cpl. Howard Adams of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "I don't think there have been many cases where government employees have been purchasing hockey cards."
Christiane Fox, a spokeswoman for Measurement Canada, which ensures the accuracy of meters and scales, said Billing was suspended without pay in September 2003, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. In January 2004, his employment with the agency was terminated and he was reported to the Mounties.
As a result of the case, Fox said: "There's now an increased monitoring of credit card purchases and the number of credit cards in use by Measurement Canada has been reduced by 42 nationally."
When contacted at his Barrie, Ontario, home, Billing refused to comment on the charges. He is to appear in court on Feb. 11.
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