Former Treasury Clerk Ordered to Repay Over $900,000 in Government Funds

Former Treasury Clerk, forty-five-year-old June Belisle, will have to pay back the Government of Belize over nine hundred thousand dollars that she reportedly stole between 2019 and 2020. That was the ruling handed down today by Justice Nigel Pilgrim in the High Court of Belize. Belisle’s hearing was held virtually, where she along with her attorney Ronell Gonzalez and two character witnesses made mitigation pleas. Belisle had asked the court for leniency, stressing that she currently does not have a job. Her character witnesses also spoke well of her, and Justice Pilgrim said that their testimony and a “profound” impact. However, Justice Pilgrim could not finish his sentencing due to an emergency, resulting in a rescheduling of the sentencing for an in-person hearing tomorrow. Belisle has been told that she will not be given any prison time and that the form of her non-custodial sentence will be explained at tomorrow’s hearing. Belisle had been convicted of theft in November, after it was discovered that she was running a scam using the government SMART Stream. Belisle reportedly told a group of single mothers they were the beneficiaries of a social assistance program and would deposit money in their accounts at the end of each month, and take a portion of that money for herself.