A lawyer on behalf of Joanne McCormick, pictured, pleaded not guilty on Thursday, April 2, to fraud and theft charges. The accused is the wife of Nanaimo-based Crown prosecutor Basil McCormick. (Image Credit: Submitted photo)

By Ian Holmes

headed to trial

Wife of Nanaimo prosecutor pleads not guilty to fraud & theft charges

Apr 2, 2026 | 4:26 PM

KELOWNA — Serious allegations against a Nanaimo Crown prosecutor’s wife are expected to be settled at trial.

On Thursday, April 2, a lawyer on behalf of Joanne Lynette McCormick, 57, entered not guilty pleas to a combined four theft and fraud charges during a brief appearance at Kelowna Law Courts.

McCormick was charged last summer with two counts each of fraud and theft over $5,000 in relation to alleged offences between April 2019 and October 2021, as well as between November 2022 and April 2024.

According to the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS), in December 2021, its office was contacted by the Vancouver Island District RCMP regarding fraud and theft allegations against McCormick linked to her past involvement with a Nanaimo-based non-profit agency.

In May 2024, the scope of the probe against McCormick expanded to include a separate Nanaimo business.

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The accused is the spouse of veteran Nanaimo-based Crown prosecutor Basil McCormick.

Due to the nature of the relationship between the accused and her husband, a special prosecutor reviewed the evidence, approved the charges and will oversee the matter at a pending provincial court trial, with Thursday’s arraignment hearing conducted outside of Nanaimo.

The brief afternoon appearance before judge Lisa Wyatt heard a pre-trial conference would be scheduled on April 16 ahead of a trial.

The venue for Joanne McCormick’s trial has not yet been established.

She’s represented by Vancouver-based criminal defence attorney Scott Wright.

The name of the impacted Nanaimo non-profit organization McCormick allegedly embezzled funds from has not been publicly released, however, civil litigation by the Society for Equity, Inclusion and Advocacy (SEIA) was filed against her in 2023.

SEIA shut down its services originating from a Wallace St. location in December 2021, with the agency reporting it had been victimized by “a possible misappropriation” of donations and other funds by a former employee.

SEIA experienced a financial crisis, leading to the closure of several services impacting Nanaimo’s vulnerable, including what was the city’s lone daytime warming shelter at the time.

None of the allegations against the accused have been tested in court.

Basil McCormick went on leave late in 2024 and has since returned to litigating cases in Nanaimo on behalf of the BCPS.

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