• Top Stories of 2025 • Fraser Valley First Nations chief sentenced for false 911 call leading to ex-spouse’s arrest at gunpoint
At number 6 on the list, case of Sts’ailes chief Ralph Leon Jr. who was removed from office for misappropriation of funds then sentenced to 15 months probation, restorative justice for public mischief
›› Something Worth Reading, the only truly local news outlet in the Fraser Valley, looks at the 10 most read stories of 2025 as we wrap up our first year sharing nearly 400 stories with 300,000 unique users ‹‹
Ralph Leon Jr. was the well-known chief of the Sts’ailes First Nation for many years. Ten years ago, Leon was a symbol of Indigenous rights and title after a decade fighting the Crown over eagle poaching charges filed after a corrupt conservation officer engaged in unethical tactics called “incredibly offensive” by Sto:lo Grand Chief Doug Kelly.
But Leon’s status as a leader and a cultural warrior for local First Nations slowly fell into tatters in 2025 due to serious financial fraud against his own band and then a criminal conviction for having his ex-spouse arrested at gunpoint by making a false 911 call about a crime that didn’t exist.
That this was the sixth most read story on Something Worth Reading in 2025 is again somewhat surprising to some, but some stories carry a weight the majority don’t quite understand, and some stories get shared wider in a demographic that isn’t necessarily all local. Also, while a little financial fraud and non-violent domestic abuse may rank lower on the level of criminal behaviour, when it’s a person in a position of respect and authority, it hits harder.
Leon was sentenced in provincial court in Abbotsford on Oct. 31, 2025 to a conditional discharge and 15 months probation for the “K” file, which is the court system’s notation for crimes involving intimate partner violence.
In June 2022, Leon’s ex-partner Annie Silver returned to their common-law residence to return belongings, something Leon knew she was doing. But Leon called 911, falsely reporting that unknown suspects were breaking into the home.
Leon was engaged in a sacred First Nations ceremony wearing his regalia when he made the false 911 call, according to Silver.
When police arrived, Silver was arrested at gunpoint by officers, an experience that was traumatizing to her and her son Darius who feared his mother would not come home. There was also the chilling realization of what RCMP officers might have done if Darius was outside the home at the time having been notified of a break-and-enter.
That, however, was only the start of the trauma and harm caused by Leon who went on a partially successful campaign of defamation, lies, and manipulation.
“This includes the fact that the ostracization and community isolation began immediately after the arrest and remains ongoing to this day,” Annie Silver told Something Worth Reading in a statement.
“Having prepared for a court decision for three years, I attended the ruling to acknowledge the court’s careful consideration of the evidence and the profound impact this incident and the subsequent actions have had on me, my son Darius Silver, and my standing within the community.”
After Silver’s arrest, Leon used his position as chief and his social media presence to lie about Annie, including sharing an image of her arrest and “creating false, toxic narratives within the community for a year before charges were laid.”
Silver said she is grateful the judge referenced the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action and the need to protect vulnerable people, especially Indigenous women, citing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry.
”This acknowledgment underscores the severity of using a position of power to weaponize a system that disproportionately harms Indigenous women.”
Gladue’s tragic irony
In handing down the sentence, the judge referenced the principles of Gladue for its softer sentencing approach, although no formal Gladue report was created. Gladue is the principle that comes from a 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision addressing the fact that Indigenous people are overrepresented in prisons, a fact that that stems from colonialism, systemic discrimination, and intergenerational trauma from residential schools and displacement.
The tragic irony of Gladue, however, is that while judges often give lighter sentences to Indigenous offenders in criminal court, often the victims of those crimes are Indigenous women.
Silver said the sentence was not necessarily what she wanted, but she was glad that beyond the probation, Leon will have to finish some amount of restorative justice.
“The sentencing includes a component of restorative justice specifically aimed at repairing the damage caused to my role and reputation within the community following a year of ostracization, villainization, and re-victimization due to the false narratives he created.”
After the sentence, Silver said her focus switched to her own healing and supporting her son, rebuilding her life and integrity in her community.
“A court ruling cannot erase the years of damage, but today’s sentence is an important step towards accountability and justice,” Silver said of the sentencing on Oct. 31. “The requirement for restorative justice is a significant acknowledgment of the harm to my community standing and an opportunity to begin the arduous process of truth and healing.”
After this story first appeared, Leon Jr. contacted Something Worth Reading asking to comment. He was asked for a response to the sentence but then didn’t respond.
Removal from office
On March 12, 2025, the Sts’ailes First Nation issued an update to members on the removal of Leon from office following misleading information Leon was ciruclating.
He was removed from office on Aug. 30, 2024 for “misappropriation of Sts' ailes funds and other significant misconduct,” yet he sought re-election as chief in 2025.
The statement outlined that council was aware of $50,000 in misappropriated funds that Leon acknowledged and promised to repay.
“However, Mr. Leon failed to honour his commitment to repay any of the misappropriated funds.”
The statement said Leon violated his oath of office necessitating his removal as chief.
“Mr. Leon was removed due to multiple acts of misconduct, including his failure to attend key meetings and his unauthorized or unverified spending, pay advances, and excessive purchases of technology for his personal gain, use or benefit,” the statement reads.“
A decade ago, Leon was in the news as one of two men out of 11 charged in 2006 after a 15-month investigation by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) into eagle poaching.
Gary Abbott, Leon and nine other men faced a total of 105 charges related to the unlawful possession of dead wildlife, trafficking in dead wildlife and other related offences.
But the case languished in court for nine years with most of the men pleading guilty to be done with it. Yet the lead investigator, senior conservation officer Rick Grindrod used undercover operations to attend cultural events to lure First Nations into illegal activity.
All the while, Grindrod was allegedly stealing money from government accounts using a form of bank fraud known as “kiting.” He was eventually convicted of fraud and fired from the BCCOS.
For years the accused sought to have the charges dropped, something that didn’t happen until 2015, fully 3,422 days after charges were laid. Officially, however, a Crown spokesperson said the decision to drop the charges had nothing to do with Grindrod, but rather was related to the "significant time which has elapsed since the prosecutions began."
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Paul J. Henderson
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