Ex-N.B. deputy attorney general sent to prison for 3 years for theft of $481,000
A former high-ranking New Brunswick justice official was led out of a Moncton courtroom on Tuesday afternoon by sheriffs, headed to prison for three years after gambling away his law firm clients' money.
Yassin Choukri, 56, was sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing a total of $481,148 from his clients while serving as a private lawyer in Fredericton between 2014 and 2016.
Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Dysart issued the sentence recommended by the Crown prosecutor and Choukri's defence lawyer.
The sentence was recommended after Choukri pleaded guilty earlier this year just before he was set to stand trial.
"Taking into account all the circumstances in this case, including the guilty plea, and recognizing that courts are generally required to accept a joint recommendation unless it undermines public confidence in the administration of justice, I am satisfied that the joint recommendation, in this case, is both reasonable and in the public interest," Dysart said in French.
As you have admitted, your criminal acts resulted in considerable consequences. - Justice Robert Dysart
Choukri appeared to show little reaction in the courtroom when Dysart read the sentencing decision.
As Dysart reached the conclusion of his decision, he asked Choukri to stand.
"As you have admitted, your criminal acts resulted in considerable consequences," Dysart said.
"Your conduct was dishonest. It constituted a violation of your professional obligations to your clients and has affected the reputation of your fellow lawyers.
"Despite your acts being fuelled by addiction, it doesn't lessen the impact on victims. Your guilty plea and your acceptance of responsibility are important steps in your rehabilitation."
The three-year prison sentence recommended for Choukri by the Crown and defence lawyers was accepted by the judge. (Pascal Raiche-Nogue/Radio-Canada)
Crown prosecutor Vicky Doucette told reporters outside the courthouse she wasn't surprised the judge accepted the sentencing recommendation. Doucette said the time Choukri will serve falls within the range of sentences imposed in similar cases.
WATCH | 'He never beat his addiction,' lawyer says after sentencing
At a sentencing hearing Dec. 8, Doucette told Dysart that Choukri was responsible for holding client funds in a trust account.
Doucette said Choukri would gradually withdraw money from the trust accounts in instalments of several thousand dollars to repay his credit card debt.
As his gambling addiction increased, the prosecutor said, Choukri was warned by his bank that his trust account was at risk.
In an attempt to cover the shortfall, he borrowed the maximum amount he could and deposited it in his trust account. But it still wasn't enough.
Crown prosecutor Vicky Doucette outlined the facts of Choukri's crime at a hearing earlier this month. (Shane Magee/CBC)
By late September 2016, two cheques drawn from the trust account had bounced. On Sept. 29, 2016, he fled Fredericton without notice to his clients.
Choukri was eventually found in Mississauga, Ont., where he had started a program for people with a gambling addiction.
He was arrested and brought back to New Brunswick in 2020. He was charged and released on bail pending trial.
The court heard some of those who lost money were compensated by the New Brunswick Law Society's compensation fund. The fund can reimburse clients for losses resulting from the fraud or dishonesty of a lawyer.
Choukri stood addressing the judge for more than 15 minutes at the sentencing hearing earlier this month apologizing for his actions.
And on Tuesday, more than seven years after fleeing the province, he was led away to prison.
Outside the courthouse Tuesday, his lawyer Gilles Lemieux said Choukri is embarrassed by his actions.
He said he tried to overcome his gambling addiction in Ontario and knew he would have to come back to New Brunswick to face the consequences of his actions.
Choukri was once a law partner of former premier Bernard Lord and served as the chief of staff in Lord's office before being appointed deputy attorney general in 2003.
He left the position in 2006 after Lord lost the provincial election. In 2010, the David Alward government appointed Choukri as the public intervener for hearings before the Energy and Utilities Board.
