Robert Riley Sanders pleaded guilty to three counts including breach of trust. He’ll have to wait a little longer to learn his fate, but a former Kelowna social worker finally apologized at his sentencing hearing. Robert Riley Sanders pleaded guilty last year to three of the 13 charges he faced. fraud over $5,000, breach of trust in relation to his duties as a child protection guardianship officer and using a forged document. During the final day of his sentencing hearing, Sanders took the stand facing Superior Court Judge Steve Wilson and delivered his statement to the court. Sanders began by saying that throughout his trial there was a perception that he was unrepentant, but that is not true. He said he had been limited to reaching out to those affected over the past four and a half years. He expressed “sincere remorse” and said he felt sorry for his employer, his colleagues and the youth and families affected. Sanders said he wishes he could go back in time to be the voice of reason to advise his younger self. “I would never want to emotionally harm anyone. I’m really sorry,” he concluded. Sanders, a former social worker with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, pleaded guilty in September last year to defrauding the ministry of more than $460,000, depriving vulnerable Indigenous youth in his care. He was charged with multiple counts of fraud over $5,000, breach of trust and forging a college degree, which he used to get a job at MCFD in 1996. The Crown is seeking a prison term of between six and eight years, while defense lawyer Brian Fitzpatrick says his client is remorseful and suggested two years of house arrest followed by three years of probation. A large group of members of the Okanagan Nation Alliance and others gathered outside the Kelowna courthouse last month, demanding harsh punishment for Saunders and justice for the Indigenous children who were victimized. During her submissions, Crown prosecutor Heather Magnin noted that Saunders targeted particularly vulnerable Indigenous children who had been removed from their homes by the MCFD, as he believed they would be less likely to speak out about their lack of support. Magnin said Saunders grew his scam over seven years, stealing from more and younger youths. By the time he was arrested in 2018, he was stealing funds meant to go to around half the young people in his care. The case is scheduled to return to court on July 25, when Judge Wilson will either issue the sentence or set a date for sentencing. What happens depends on the availability of Crown and defense lawyers who have other trials scheduled, though the judge said he wants to issue his ruling sooner rather than later.
