Former civilian employee sent to jail for stealing $30K from the Windsor Police Service

A former WPS employee has been sent to jail for fraud. CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske has the details.

A former civilian employee has been sent to jail for theft from the Windsor Police Service.

James Brush was sentenced to 12 months in jail Wednesday for two counts of fraud over $5,000.

When he pleaded guilty, Brush admitted he spent more than $31,000 in fraudulent charges on corporate purchasing cards.

Many of the charges were for parts for vehicles Brush owned, which police did not.

At the time, Brush was the Fleet Manager for the service.

“The accused abused a position of trust when it came to his employer. The amount of the fraud and the fact it happened over 10 years is also aggravating,” Justice Mikolaj Bazylko said Wednesday.

“There were over 50 transactions which were a part of this fraudulent scheme.”

The judge also said Brush suffered from alcohol abuse.

“However, this factor must be tempered by the fact that the accused completely stopped drinking in 2022 and yet his criminal behaviour continued until 2024, when he was finally caught and the scheme was uncovered,” the judge said.

During Wednesday’s sentencing, the judge was critical of Brush for taking the money out of greed, to support a lifestyle he was not afforded by his job.

“Additionally, the fact the accused targeted the entity which is funded by taxpayers is an aggravating factor,” the judge concluded.

Disappointed defence

Brush’s lawyer, Shane Miles, had asked for house arrest of 18 months to two years less a day, to give his client support to deal with his addiction. He told the media he and Brush are disappointed in the sentence.

“Under the circumstances, [Brush has] obviously suffered some collateral consequences, as one would expect,” Miles said.

“But, at the same time, [the sentence is] understandable. Justice Bazylko did a very good job.”

At the conclusion of the sentence, Brush handed his personal items to Miles and was escorted to jail.

“It’s been a long, tumultuous time that’s cost [Brush] personal and obviously professional loss,” Miles said.

“Mr. Brush continues to express remorse and has a full intention to rehabilitate himself and restore the community for the money he’s taken.”

Brush will serve two-thirds of his sentence and then be placed on probation for 12 months, Miles said.

Brush also will be banned from working anywhere that requires him to be responsible for property or money for 10 years.

He has until 2030 to pay the City of Windsor $30,000 in restitution.

Police go digital

“This was serious misconduct and it does not reflect the standards to which we hold our members,” spokesperson Gary Francoeur wrote in a statement Wednesday, at the conclusion of the court case.

“We know incidents like this can impact public trust, and we remain committed to being transparent and accountable to the community we serve.”

As a result of Brush’s fraud, Windsor police say they have changed their fleet policies.

Invoicing and vehicle tracking is now digital: “…vehicle maintenance is now supported by telematics, helping ensure repairs are completed on time rather than relying on manual scheduling,” Francoeur wrote.

Measures the service believes will provide “…stricter approval processes and increased oversight of financial transactions.”