An Edmonton woman, Shum Shabat Yousouf, aged 35, has received a 12-month jail term for admitting to defrauding a vulnerable client of over $73,000. Yousouf, who pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000 in November 2025, was sentenced in the Edmonton Court of Justice on Friday.
During the sentencing, the court revealed that Yousouf worked as a program manager and housing worker for Contentment Social Services Foundation (CSSF), a non-profit organization offering assisted-living services. She was identified as an authorized representative on the organization’s corporate registry records.
The victim, a 59-year-old man diagnosed with a mental illness requiring daily living assistance, had engaged in a service agreement with CSSF in April 2022. This agreement involved the man, Christopher Domoslai, paying $1,450 monthly for accommodation, meals, room cleaning assistance, and transportation to medical appointments.
Yousouf, beginning early 2023, instructed Domoslai to obtain bank drafts exceeding his monthly fee. She also helped him set up online banking and a password. Later that year, she accessed his online banking, transferring funds without his knowledge. Over six months, Yousouf made 61 e-transfers from Domoslai’s account, with 57 deposits totaling $63,445 into CSSF’s account and $3,500 to a personal account. The organization faced financial difficulties due to these actions.
The fraud was discovered in December 2023 when Domoslai’s sister found only $5,000 in his accounts. Initially, Yousouf tried to blame a fictitious employee for the transactions. The family terminated the relationship with CSSF in June 2024 after discovering the organization had not paid rent, leading to arrears and potential eviction.
The court highlighted the severe impact of the fraud on the victim and his family’s finances. Yousouf, with no criminal record, showed remorse by making partial restitution payments before sentencing. However, the judge rejected a conditional sentence and emphasized the abuse of trust and vulnerability of the victim as aggravating factors.
In addition to the jail term, Yousouf was ordered to pay $73,598.99 in restitution by December 1, 2035, and $69,295 in lieu of forfeiture by August 21, 2037. A five-year prohibition was imposed on her from working or volunteering in roles involving financial authority without disclosure of her case’s facts.