Credit card thefts in Cardston land woman in jail for 75 days

Posted on October 29, 2026 by admin

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Dee-anna Black Plume appeared in Taber court on Oct. 20 and pleaded guilty to multiple offences involving stolen or misused bank cards, curfew breaches, probation breaches, mischief, and failure to attend. She received 75 days credit for time served, with additional concurrent sentences and a $100 fine.

Black Plume’s offences occurred in January, August and September of 2026 and took place in Cardston. In January and March she was arrested and given separate release conditions with undertakings requiring her to be in the same residence from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and not to be in the possession of credit cards and other financial instruments except those items issued to her.

On three occasions, Black Plume was spotted on camera or by local police outside of her curfew hours and committing financial crimes. Twice, she stole debit or credit cards from unattended vehicles and a third time she took another woman’s debit card. On all three occasions, she attended the Cardston Fas Gas and made purchases of $53.18, $187.50 and $111.44. Her identity was confirmed through CCTV footage.

By committing the crimes, she breached both her curfew and release order undertakings and was charged with additional mischief for entering and stealing from parked vehicles. She received two additional charges for breaching a probation order and failing to attend court.

Prosecutor Clayton Giles said, “It’s an aggravating feature that she was on probation when this happened. She does not have a long track record as a thief. Her difficulties are recent.”

Black Plume’s lawyer, Wade Hlady, concurred with the Crown that a 75-day jail sentence was appropriate and Justice Grace Auger gave the woman 75 days credit for time served in remand.

Hlady told the court that Black Plume’s circumstances took a turn for the worse after the death of her son, leading to drug abuse and criminal activity. Her Gladue factors – or the background circumstances that Canadian courts must consider when sentencing an Indigenous offender – included a residential school, racism and poverty. Hlady said he specifically asked her if she was interested in probation as part of the sentence and she told him, yes — she wanted the opportunity to engage with the support structure it offered.

She was placed on 12 months’ probation requiring reporting, counselling, abstinence from substances, lawful possession of identification and financial cards, and employment, education, or training.

Justice Auger urged the woman to show up at the probation office upon release and wished her the best.