Masons treasurer pleads guilty to ID theft
By Paris Achen, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
In an agreement with prosecutors,
Standing in front of Judge
Several Masons were in the courtroom's public gallery for the hearing.
In exchange for Galland's guilty plea, Deputy Prosecutor
Galland is scheduled to be sentenced
According to court documents, Galland was elected as treasurer of the
During a six-year period, he used the organization's account to write hundreds of checks to himself and his company,
The money was intended for maintenance, including insurance and taxes, of the Vancouver Masonic Center,
Daily then found that as of December, the organization's
To conceal his activities, Galland fabricated the account balance on the treasurer's report, which was regularly submitted to the board of trustees, court documents say.
He also failed to pay many of the organization's financial responsibilities, including taxes and corporation fees, according to investigators.
The damage from the theft continues to reverberate at the center. Last month, the organization started a Saturday farmers market -- 78th Street Market -- to help pay for the center's insurance and taxes.
The financial loss also has detracted from the organization's charitable projects, including contributions to
"Worst of all, he has stolen from the community in which Masons try to make a positive contribution to every day," according to a victim's impact statement the Masons filed with the court.
Galland has been in custody at the
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