YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife resident will be in court next month to face charges of stealing more than $25,000 from a community television bingo group.

Roy Desjarlais, 43, was charged by Yellowknife RCMP with theft over $5,000 and cheque forgery, Dec. 14.

Roy Desjarlais: has been charged with stealing from the Community Television Society.

The exact amount missing from the Community Television Society is $25,568.72, according to Crown prosecutor John McFarlane.

Desjarlais was serving on the society's treasury board at the time of the theft, according to RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich. The society's phone line was out of order when Yellowknifer attempted to contact the group Wednesday.

“Once upon a time they were recording and bringing in content" to the community access channel in Yellowknife, said Northwestel Cable spokesperson Angie Keats.

“They are still in existence but I don't really know what they're up to any more."

The society used to run television bingos on the channel but haven't done that for a couple of years, said Keats.

Desjarlais served with a number of community organizations in recent years. He is a former chair of the Yellowknife public school board, and the former CEO of the Aboriginal Sport Circle.

He has also previously run in Yellowknife as an MLA candidate for the legislative assembly.

Desjarlais is presently employed as a funding officer for the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND). Phone messages left at his office were not returned.

The department also did not return phone calls. His next court date is Mar. 6.