A South Okanagan woman who defrauded the provincial welfare system of $350,000 over more than two decades has been sentenced to 30 months in jail.

At the Penticton courthouse last week, Justice Christopher Giaschi called the case against Norlene White, 66, “unprecedented” in Canadian case law, emphasizing her complete lack of remorse or insight into the scale of her wrongdoing.

“Her motivation was greed,” said Giaschi, as he delivered the sentence.

White was found guilty in December 2024 by a jury on multiple counts of fraud and theft. The charges stemmed from her manipulation of government benefits dating back to 2000, shortly after she became caregiver to her two older sisters with physical and mental disabilities.

White falsely claimed her sisters required specialized transportation

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