The NWT Court of Appeal has upheld a judge’s decision not to release an additional $1.1 million in frozen funds to Ron Barlas.
The assets of Barlas and his wife have been frozen since the Łútsël K’é Dene First Nation launched a lawsuit in April 2023 accusing the former head of its business arm of misappropriating millions of dollars.
Those assets were valued around $5.5 million. Of that, more than $1.4 million was released to the couple for legal and living expenses.
In December 2024, Barlas requested that the NWT Supreme Court approve the release of an additional $1.1 million to cover living expenses, approximately $675,000 in unpaid legal fees, and future legal fees.
The following month, Justice Nicholas Devlin agreed to release $120,000 to help Barlas pay for his appeal after he lost the lawsuit brought by the Łútsël K’é Dene First Nation, as well as cover the $15,000 cost of applying for the release of additional funds.
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Devlin declined, however, to release more money to Barlas for living expenses or past legal costs.
Devlin found the couple had “already received more than most families would consider reasonable to sustain a modest standard of living” and Barlas had “not been forthcoming about the entire picture of his asset availability, needs and spending.”
The judge said releasing more money to Barlas would be “the epitome of inequity” as it would be paying for “a wrongdoer’s unsuccessful attempt to justify his breaches of fiduciary duty” with money the First Nation could not recoup.
Barlas then appealed Devlin’s decision.
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In a written ruling on Wednesday, a three-judge panel dismissed that appeal, finding that Devlin’s decision was reasonable.
The First Nation won its suit against Barlas in July 2024, a ruling subsequently upheld by the court of appeal in August 2025.
A trial is pending to determine exactly how much money Barlas owes the First Nation. The sum is alleged to be upward of $10 million.
