Mr. Wade Blake Chernoff - July 21, 2009

Mr. Wade Blake Chernoff - July 21, 2009

Disciplinary Summary

July 21, 2009

Complaint

A complaint was filed by the Association against former member Mr. Wade Blake Chernoff of New Westminster, BC, as he was charged with fraud over $5,000 against his former employer. Mr. Chernoff pleaded guilty to the charge. On February 6, 2009, Mr. Chernoff was sentenced to three years in jail for embezzling $981,979.38 from his former employer. Mr. Chernoff was deemed to have resigned as a CGA on August 1, 2006.

Decision

The Discipline Committee concluded that the criminal conviction and the former member’s guilty plea were sufficient evidence of the perpetration of the offence and of the breach of CGA-BC’s Code of Ethical Principles and Rules of Conduct (in effect as at September 22, 2001, and in accordance with Rules R607 Evidence of Professional Misconduct and R607.1 Criminal and Similar Offences) as follows:

  • 2nd Ethical Principle - Trust and Duties as the former member failed to honour the trust of his employer by defrauding his employer; 
  • Rule R101 Discredit, R102 Unlawful Activity and R606(a) Detrimental Actions as the former member brought discredit upon the profession by committing and pleading guilty to a criminal act of creating and approving 45 false invoices used to defraud his employer over a three-year period. His actions were the subject of two reports in the Vancouver Sun that included several references to the CGA Association and his status as a former member. In addition, the Judge included reference to the CGA Association and his status as a former member in the Reasons for Sentence; and 
  • Rule R604(c) - Admittance to Membership as the former member failed to guard the interests of his employer and failed to conduct himself in accordance with the spirit and letter of the law, regulations and Code of Ethical Principles and Rules of Conduct by creating and approving 45 false invoices that he used to defraud his employer. 

Discipline Order

  • Barred from reinstatement effective July 7, 2009; 
  • fined $10,000; 
  • assessed costs of $3,333.63; and 
  • required to improve conduct by successfully completing the ethics course “The Essence of Professionalism: Ethics, Rules and Standards for New CGAs” prior to being considered for readmission to the Association.