(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
March 02, 2023 - 1:24 PM
A Kamloops bookkeeper has been sentenced to two years in prison for embezzling more than $600,000 from her former employer.
Katlyn Bond, 32, was convicted of fraud and theft over $5,000 last year. She pleaded guilty in September 2022 to e-transferring funds to herself, using company credit cards and company bank accounts for her own purposes during her 18 months of employment.
Defence lawyer Eric Rines and Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi submitted a joint submission in Kamloops Supreme Court today, March 2, asking for a two year sentence in a federal prison.
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Justice Dennis Hori agreed with the submission because Bond didn't have a prior record and had pleaded guilty.
Bond lost a separate civil judgement in September 2019 when her former employer, Kala Geosciences, sought an order from the court to get back $641,000 from her. The court ruled against her just a year after she was fired but criminal charges weren't approved until April 2021, court documents show.
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Her lawyer said the mother of three used cocaine heavily while she worked at the consulting firm and she was later diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses in 2020.
She's since been taking medication and getting support from her family, with several family members in attendance to see her escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs.
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"I accept my actions," she told the court. "I have a long road ahead of me, and this is just my first step in trying to make amends for that."
It's unclear how much, if any, of the $641,000 she owes to her former employer has been repaid.
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