A 46-year-old woman from Gold River, B.C., has been charged with fraud and theft after allegedly embezzling over $575,000 from her Calgary employer over a four-year period.
Calgary Police Service (CPS) Economic Crimes Unit launched an investigation after the owner of a local orthotics and prosthetics company came forward, suspecting financial misconduct by a trusted employee.
Monika Manhas, who was employed as the company’s office manager from 2016 to 2023, allegedly abused her role by siphoning funds from the business between 2019 and 2023.
Police say Manhas, who managed bookkeeping and payroll, made unauthorized e-transfers, payments, and withdrawals, disguising them as legitimate advances, bonuses, and reimbursements. She also allegedly used the company credit card for 290 unauthorized transactions and issued company cheques to pay for personal expenses.
The alleged embezzlement began in 2019, coinciding with a period when the business owner was preoccupied with a family illness, giving Manhas increased access to the company's finances. A forensic audit conducted by a third-party accounting firm revealed a total of $576,963 had been misappropriated.
Manhas was arrested on Monday, January 20, 2025, and has been charged with fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000. She is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, March 3, 2025.
The owner of the company came forward to police after reading about another case Manhas was involved in.
In 2023, Calgary police arrested Manhas and alleged that between October 2013 and September 2015, a woman worked at a local oil and gas company on a temporary contract posing as an accountant.
Police say she was also the sole administrator of the company’s third-party payroll system and had sole access to the company credit card.
According to police, the woman added herself to the company’s payroll as a full-time salaried employee, paying herself $254,856.
In all, police believe the woman defrauded the company out of $537,141.
Police encourage business owners to regularly review their finances and implement checks and balances to prevent potential fraud. Anyone with information about financial crimes is urged to contact CPS or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.