A Whitehorse woman in dispute with the Yukon government over the suspension of her social assistance is facing two counts of fraud and four counts of failing to comply with probation orders.

Tania Jordanov is set to appear in court on July 8 with Nicholas Turner, who is also facing counts of fraud and violating probation.

Jordanov also has four outstanding warrants in B.C., an RCMP spokesperson confirmed to the Star Monday. These include two counts of possession of stolen property.

Jordanov and Turner are charged with two counts of fraud under $5,000 against four Yukoners.

Skye Hanson, a Whitehorse resident, told the Star she lost $2,200 in a rental arrangement earlier this spring.

She and her boyfriend visited a downtown apartment on March 13 that had been listed online for $1,100 per month.

The pair met Jordanov and Turner at the Hoge Street apartment. They requested the first month’s rent and a damage deposit to secure the rental. Jordanov provided Hanson with a tenancy agreement, rental receipts and keys to the apartment.

Hanson was told she could move into the apartment in four days, after the previous tenant had removed the remainder of their belongings.

A few days later, Jordanov contacted Hanson to say that her husband had suffered a medical emergency and they had been medevaced to B.C., delaying Hanson’s move-in date.

Once several more days had passed, Hanson decided to visit the apartment, entering with the key Jordanov had given her.

“They both must have left probably five hours before I showed up to the apartment, because there was fresh food, Starbucks, medication and a bunch of drugs that I found there,” Hanson said.

Hanson said medication was left out with Jordanov’s name printed on it.

On this visit, Hanson ran into the owner of the apartment, who informed her that Jordanov and Turner were tenants.

“(Tania) and Nick were the ones moving out,” Hanson said.

She said the apartment’s owner didn’t seem surprised at the situation.

“She didn’t really seem to care that much; she said, ‘That’s awful, I need my keys back, it’s not your apartment,’” Hanson said.

“She didn’t seem surprised, the landlord was like, ‘It’s because she’s good, she’s really good at that stuff.’”

Hanson reported the incident to RCMP, providing the documentation Jordanov had provided her.

Late last week, Jordanov reached out to the Star regarding a dispute she was having with the Department of Health and Social Services over her social assistance cheques.

Jordanov told the Star that her assistance had been cut off because she had been unable to provide a letter verifying the fact that she’d closed a bank account.

Since her assistance cheques were suspended at the beginning of June, Jordanov said, she’d been forced to live in her vehicle.

Hanson said she immediately recognized Jordanov in Friday’s Star, which her mother forwarded to her shortly after publication.

“I was really, really mad, because of the comments and the recognition she was getting,” Hanson said.

“It was frustrating, because – I don’t know enough about it – but whoever’s job it was, didn’t do their job to make sure she and him got a criminal record or something, and they’re allowed to make stories like that with social assistance and a social worker.

“I feel like she’s just walking free, doing it to everyone.”

Clarissa Wall, a Health and Social Services spokesperson, told the Star this morning a clean record isn’t required to qualify for social assistance.

“We would never consider a person’s record, or charges against them, when determining eligibility for assistance,” Wall said in an email.

“We determine eligibility by financial situation.”

Wall said social workers routinely ask their clients about their legal history, but it is up to the client whether to disclose this history.

“Clients do not have to disclose anything, but it can be helpful for us to know if they have any conditions that would create barriers for them,” Wall said.

“Regardless of how they answer, it does not affect their eligibility for SA (social assistance).”

Income Support workers will not investigate a person’s legal history, Wall clarified.

Jordanov told the Star last week that she requested funding to return to B.C., but was denied because she doesn’t have identification. She was told her car would most likely be impounded at the border.

Court documents obtained by the Star show that Jordanov was ordered by a B.C. judge in January 2019 not to travel to an area north of Clinton, B.C. She was also ordered not to have contact nor communication with Turner.

Jordanov has been charged with violating both of these probation orders.

Wall said that if an individual is required to repatriate to attend a legal proceeding, Social Services would consider providing funds for this provided that person is not also required to remain in the Yukon for legal proceedings in the territory.

“We never tell clients that they can or cannot leave; we simply determine if we will provide them funds to do so,” Wall said.

“Clients fully have the right to self-determine where they reside.”

Jordanov spelled her name as Jordanova for the Star last week.