A trusted member of Yellowknife's Muslim community is heading to prison.

Mohammed Basha is a former president and imam of the city's Islamic Centre.

He was sentenced this morning for defrauding the centre of more than $117,000.

Over a two-year period, Basha took money that was supposed to go to a new mosque.

The 51-year-old also defrauded a fellow City Cab taxi driver of $15,000.

The judge sentenced Basha to 33 months in prison, and ordered him to pay back the $132,000.

The new imam of the Islamic Centre says the incident has destroyed their community.