Kelowna fraudster awaits full parole hearing following review [Video]

A Kelowna, B.C., fraudster who stole more than $460,000 from the Ministry of Children and Family Development in the names of vulnerable Indigenous youth has behaved ideally since gaining day parole last October.

The Parole Board of Canada, however,  isn’t so sure Robert Riley Saunders, 54, is ready for more freedom and in an April 8 review, opted to defer a decision on full parole until a hearing now scheduled for later this year.

In a document released Wednesday, the board said it carefully reviewed Saunders’s file and considered a recommendation for full parole from the Correctional Service of Canada, though it didn’t go for it.

“While there is positive progress noted, several issues are concerning to the board,” the parole board wrote in a decision addressed to Saunders.

“The extent of your fraudulent activity spans over two decades, occurred in several different aspects of your life, and you exploited the most vulnerable population through your position of trust …