Repeat fraud lands gambling addict in prison
By Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald
A 60-year-old Calgary woman who stole $1.5 million from her employer over nearly four years to feed a gambling addiction began serving prison time Tuesday.
Provincial court Judge Harry Van Harten ordered Janice Lorraine Boyes, who avoided jail on two prior, similar convictions, into custody while he determined the length of her sentence.
Crown prosecutor Brian Kiers argued for a five-year sentence, citing the prior convictions and the length and amount of the current fraud against Integrated Environments Ltd., where she worked as the sole accountant.
Defence attorney Telmo Dos Santos sought a three-year sentence, saying his client did not use the money for a lavish lifestyle, but simply blew the money by gambling it away.
Van Harten said he only has to deal with two issues before passing sentence: how gambling should affect the quantum of the sentence and if the offender's age should be taken into consideration.
The prosecutor said Boyes was previously handed a six-month conditional sentence Dec. 4, 2000, for fraud over $5,000 against Loss Prevention Group Inc., where she worked as an accountant. She never paid $3,115 ordered by the court for restitution.
On Oct. 11, 2002, the woman was given a 12-month conditional sentence and 12 months probation for stealing $32,123 from Bull and Finch Pub, where she was a bookkeeper. None of the amount of that restitution ordered has been paid.
She also has not repaid any of the money stolen in the current conviction.
Kiers earlier said in reading an agreed statement of facts that Boyes used her IEL bank card and Interac to make 1,134 unauthorized transfers, either from the company's account to her personal account, withdrawals or cash advances totalling $1,522,219.
The prosecutor said the fraud began Jan. 9, 2007, and continued until Aug. 16, 2010, when one of the company's executives requested that she bring him the company's accounting records.
Boyes admitted she had used the card for her own purposes.
A few weeks later, another IEL executive asked Boyes for the password to access the company's online banking.
When she finally gave him the information, again after some delay, he discovered a number of unauthorized withdrawals from the accounts and noted several of the transactions were debit card purchases made at the Grey Eagle Casino.
When confronted, Boyes admitted taking the money and told him about her gambling problem.
She again admitted the fraud the next day in an email, and advised him she was getting help for her problem.
Police were then called by IEL and Boyes was charged Jan. 10, 2012, following an extensive investigation by an accounting firm.
Van Harten adjourned sentencing until April 15.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Repeat+fraud+lands+gambling+addict+prison/7989128/story.html#ixzz2LXcqmgmG
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