Bernard (Ben) Bueckert of Warman passed away Wednesday, March 30 at the age of 87.
His funeral is set for Saturday, April 9 at the Warman Seniors Drop-in Centre.
Ben Bueckert, along with his wife Tina, played a key role in helping to convict habitual con artist David Adrian three years ago.
Adrian had defrauded the couple of over $135,000 in 2015 and 2016. Warman RCMP arrested Adrian in the fall of 2016, and after numerous trial delays, Adrian was finally convicted in January 2019. As part of his sentence, Adrian was ordered to pay full restitution to the couple. Adrian served his mandatory sentence and was released from prison in January, 2022.
Despite suffering serious health effects as a result of his experience, Ben Bueckert took the stand in a Saskatoon courtroom in 2018 and 2019 to testify at Adrian’s trial. His testimony was pivotal in securing the conviction.
The trial generated considerable media coverage, and Ben and Tina Bueckert did much to educate the public about how seniors are often targeted by scammers. It took considerable courage for the couple to report the incident to police and pursue the case through the court system.
Tina Bueckert said she received $100 in restitution money in late March, 2022, just before her husband passed away at the Warman Mennonite Special Care Home, where he was a resident. So far, that’s the only restitution that has been paid by Adrian.
“Unfortunately, he never really understood that we had gotten paid even that little bit,” said Tina, adding her husband’s health had declined rapidly in the past year.
She thanked everyone who supported the couple through their difficult period.
Ben Bueckert’s full obituary and funeral details are online at the Dalmeny Funeral Home website.