The Kettle Valley steam train

Image Credit: FACEBOOK: Kettle Valley Steam Railway

The former manager of a popular Summerland attraction has been charged with fraud and theft.

Former Kettle Valley Steam Railway business manager Julia Beatrice Belmonte is facing charges of fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000.

Court documents show Belmonte, born 1997, allegedly took the money between July 2021 and December 2022.

She was charged in March this year and her case is moving through the court system.

Precise details of what took place aren't known, but based on details filed in a search warrant by Summerland RCMP, the Vancouver Sun reported Belmonte is accused of swiping up to $50,000.

READ MORE: Former District of Summerland staffer guilty of fraud and breach of trust

Belmonte allegedly used the society's credit card to buy $13,000 of purchases from Amazon, the Sun reported. She then had the goods shipped to her home in West Kelowna.

The purchases ranged from mattresses and ski equipment to jewelry and underwear.

Police searched her West Kelowna home in March 2023, but didn't uncover any of the hundreds of items she's alleged to have ordered from Amazon.

Outside of online shopping, Belmonte is alleged to have taken the rest of the cash through e-transfers for unapproved overtime pay as well as an unapproved pay raise. She's also accused of taking cash from the day-to-day operations of the railway.

The Sun reported she was hired in October 2021 with a salary of $60,000 per year.

More than a year later in December 2022, the RCMP were informed after she gave banking information to the society.

She didn't show up for work again.

READ MORE: Veteran Summerland RBC manager jailed for swiping $850K from seniors

The Kettle Valley Railway Society president Dave Smith said the not-for-profit was aware of the charges but the organization wouldn't be commenting until after the criminal proceedings were over.

The steam railway is a popular tourist attraction which travels 16 kilometres high in the Okanagan hills in a restored 1912 steam locomotive.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Belmonte will be back in court at the end of the month.

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