A Lethbridge woman is facing charges of fraud, theft and possession of the proceeds of crime after being accused of bilking her employer out of $46,000 in cash and $1,500 in property.
When staff at King of Trade in the southern Alberta city noticed discrepancies in the store’s inventory, a check of surveillance video appeared to show an employee stealing cash from the till.
Authorities were called and members of the Lethbridge police Economics Crimes Unit launched an investigation.
Police allege that between April 2017 and December 2018, an employee stole money from the till and then falsified inventory and stock records in an effort to hide that.
Melanie Dawn Vaillancourt, 38, of Lethbridge, is charged with:
- Fraud over $5,000
- Theft under $5,000
- Falsification of documents
- Possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000
- Possession of the proceeds of crime under $5,000
She was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court next on April 12.
