Fictitious names. Dozens of e-transfers. A drained bank account.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the first time, court documents reveal details about how an employee of an assisted living organization systematically defrauded a client, a man with a diagnosed mental illness.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the latest development in the story of Contentment Social Services Foundation (CSSF), which made headlines in 2024 after families said their loved ones with complex needs were discharged from the hospital into hotel rooms<\/a> with little support. After reporting from CBC News<\/a>, the Alberta government stepped in<\/a> to find new housing for 27 clients, and launched several investigations. <\/p>\n Edmonton police also laid charges<\/a> against Shum Yousouf, a CSSF program manager and housing worker, for incidents dating back to 2023.<\/p>\n Now, an agreed statement of facts obtained by CBC News sheds light on some of the problematic inner workings of the organization.<\/p>\n Guilty plea<\/p>\n The court filing, dated Nov. 10, 2025, shows that Yousouf pleaded guilty to defrauding client Christopher Domoslai of $73,225.95. The plea relates to events that transpired in 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n In April 2022, the then-hospitalized 59-year-old Domoslai, who requires living assistance, was signed up for CSSF services by his sister.<\/p>\n The one-year agreement outlined monthly fees of $1,450 that covered rent in an apartment suite, two meals a day, help with room cleaning and transport to medical appointments. Domoslai, an AISH recipient, paid the monthly fee via automated withdrawal.<\/p>\n In February 2023, Yousouf told Domoslai his automatic withdrawals had stopped and took him to the bank to get a bank draft of $1,600.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the same timeframe, Yousouf set up online banking for Domoslai and helped him to type in the password he selected,\u201d reads the agreed statement of facts.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDomoslai had not previously set up online banking because he was not, and is not, capable of navigating such a platform.\u201d<\/p>\n In March and April, Yousouf admitted to taking Domoslai to get bank drafts for $1,600, which was more than his contracted rate.<\/p>\n Access to bank account<\/p>\n Then in July 2023, Yousouf accessed Domoslai\u2019s online bank account without his knowledge.<\/p>\n Over the next six months, she sent a total of 61 e-transfers to CSSF\u2019s bank account: $63,445 was deposited into the organization\u2019s bank account while $3,500 was transferred to Yousouf\u2019s personal bank account.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the time these transfers began, CSSF did not have sufficient funds to sustain its operations,\u201d the court filing states.<\/p>\n In July, September and October of 2023, Yousouf again accessed Domoslai\u2019s online bank account to remit six payments, totalling $10,650 , to a property management company that managed two buildings with CSSF clients.<\/p>\n In December 2023, Domoslai\u2019s sister, who had recently obtained a power of attorney, checked his bank accounts and discovered there was only approximately $5,000 remaining.<\/p>\n \u2018Fictitious character\u2019<\/p>\n She later received correspondence from someone purporting to be \u201cShum Shabit, CEO of CSSF.\u201d<\/p>\n In fact, it came from Yousouf, the documents said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe correspondence indicated that an employee named \u2018Sabrina Smith\u2019 was responsible for the criminal transactions, and that CSSF would pay restitution. Sabrina Smith is a fictitious character,\u201d said the court filing.<\/p>\n Restitution efforts ended with a small amount of the money returned to Domoslai; his family terminated services with CSSF in summer 2024.<\/p>\n The court documents do not delve into Yousouf\u2019s motive but shed some light on the contributing factors that led to the fraudulent activity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe funds defrauded from Domoslai were used to pay CSSF expenses, to fund Yousouf\u2019s own daily expenses, and for e-transfers to Yousouf as well as her relatives. The BMO bank records do not suggest that Yousouf was receiving a regular paycheque for the work she performed, nor do they suggest that she was making luxurious purchases with the defrauded funds,\u201d read court documents.<\/p>\n John Martins Abu, a lawyer for Yousouf, declined to comment pending the legal proceedings.<\/p>\n Crown prosecutor Kate Andress also declined to comment beyond the agreed statement of facts and any submissions she will make in court.<\/p>\n Domoslai\u2019s family declined to comment.<\/p>\n Cheryl Voordenhout, spokesperson for the Edmonton Police Service, said the file is still under investigation.<\/p>\n Yosuouf is scheduled to be sentenced April 7.<\/p>\n Response from Alberta government<\/p>\n In 2024, CSSF was a private organization included on a list created by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and provided to patients seeking assisted living services.<\/p>\n AHS later said the entity would be removed from that list.<\/p>\n CSSF was incorporated by Norton Smith, who was the sole director of the organization. Yousouf and Smith, according to the agreed statement of facts, are former romantic partners.<\/p>\n The organization came under fire in 2024 after clients received what their families called inadequate care in hotel rooms; the hotel bills were not paid by CSSF, prompting the province to step in to cover the costs.<\/p>\n In May 2025, the province was awarded<\/a> nearly $144,000 from CSSF after filing a lawsuit<\/a> against the organization to recover the cost of hotel rooms, meals and apartments rented for clients.\u00a0<\/p>\n Assisted Living and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon was unavailable for an interview but ministry spokesperson Sherene Khaw said the province is taking several enforcement steps to collect the money from CSSF.<\/p>\n Khaw, in emailed responses to questions from CBC News, said the province is aware that CSSF is no longer operating in Alberta.<\/p>\n Nixon previously told CBC News that work was being done on accreditation standards for these types of organizations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to work with colleagues across government to develop accreditation options for organizations that provide non-medical supports. There will be more to come on this in the months ahead,\u201d Khaw said in a statement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fictitious names. Dozens of e-transfers. 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