Police continue investigation into autism fundraiser theft
Posted Jun 7, 2017 11:21:28 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – Police are continuing to search for a suspect in connection to a large sum of money stolen from an Autism Speaks Walk fundraiser over the weekend.
Police have identified the suspect as a volunteer who identified herself as Raylan Lee.
According to police, Lee left Sunday’s fundraiser at Kanata’s Bell Sensplex sometime between 9 a.m. and noon.
It’s believed she fled with $4,000 dollars, though there have been no charges laid at this point.
Marketing Director for Autism Speaks Canada Carrie Habert tells 1310 NEWS, the actions of one of their own volunteers was devastating.
“Our organization, although we’re national, we are quite lean in terms of our staff. We rely on our volunteers to help us. So, when you have to step back and you can no longer trust people the same way, it’s challenging.”
According to Habert, Lee responded to a call for volunteers and said, because of her past experience with fundraisers and her accountant work with the federal government, she would best fit at the registration desk.
She says the stolen cash has caused a review of the organization’s registration system, but she doesn’t want this to take away from how the rest of the fundraiser went.
“It was really a great event, so I don’t want this to cloud the success of the day.”
