New charges are pending against a woman who allegedly defrauded her boss of over $100,000 in recent months, and the allegation comes just days before she is due to be sentenced for stealing from a former boss a few years ago.
Police sources have confirmed that the owner of H2One Ltd reported the incident last week after the company conducted an audit of its cheque books and accounting, and found more than a dozen cheques had been issued by the woman — who is an office assistant — to a man with whom the company has had no business.
The man, who collected the 14 cheques from the woman for the sum of $107,119.27, between March and July this year, allegedly cashed them periodically at a service station in St. John’s.
He, too, is expected to be charged within this week, even as he reportedly told police he had no idea a crime was being committed at the time.
The company decided to carry out the audit after learning from media reports earlier this month that the woman had admitted in court to embezzling money from her boss within the first two weeks on the job three years ago. Sentencing in that matter is set for July 25th, and the woman remains on bail while awaiting her fate.
After pleading guilty, the woman returned to work without telling her new bosses about her history and pending sentencing. However, when the news broke and the principals of the company discovered that $99,169.27 had been paid out without their knowledge and approval, they confronted her and called in the police.
Subsequent inquiries with the bank and a review of the accounting, reportedly showed more money had been fraudulently paid out to the male suspect and a cheque book was missing.
The male was questioned by police on Monday, and the woman was reportedly expected to turn herself in to police for questioning, in the company of her lawyer.