Nunavut judge sentences Toronto woman to 3 years prison for Inuit identity fraud

A Nunavut judge has sentenced a Toronto woman to three years in prison in a case of Inuit identity fraud.

Karima Manji, who is not Indigenous, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000, after her twin daughters used fake Inuit status to receive benefits from two organizations.

The judge went beyond the Crown’s recommendation for two years jail.

The judge says Manji defrauded the territory’s Inuit by stealing their identity and victimizing the family of an elderly Inuk woman, who has since died.

The judge says Manji’s actions are an egregious example of the exploitation of Indigenous Peoples and the punishment must fit the crime.

Charges against Manji’s daughters were dropped after the mother pleaded guilty.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2024.