A former secretary who stole $250,000 from her employer to finance her wedding and beauty treatments and satisfy her taste in luxury was unable to obtain mercy from the court and was sent to prison.
Nancy McKinnon used her role as an administrative assistant to delve into the accounts of her employer, Béton Concept AM, at will between 2012 and 2015. Using the company’s credit and debit cards, she treated herself to travel, a wedding dress, etc., and rented a reception room for her wedding.
Nancy McKinnon paid for her marriage in part through her cheating. Photo from Facebook
As the person responsible for accounting, she also granted herself salary increases.
Nancy McKinnon was charged with three counts of fraud and pleaded guilty. She hoped to avoid prison, but instead took the route to the cells in the Longueuil courthouse.
Serving a sentence in the community would have allowed him to pay back victims more quickly, she argued.
Responsible for his misfortune
His former employers haven’t seen their money in seven years. The defendant is actually struggling with repayment as a third of her salary is confiscated by the government for unpaid taxes.
Media coverage of his case also caused him to lose five jobs and a home.
“She still suffers from mental health issues […] and she is in financial distress. The fact is that these are all direct consequences of his own criminal actions. In other words, and unfortunately, she is the architect of her own misfortune,” emphasized judge Marc-Antoine Carette.
He determined that his crimes were part of a “desperate” attempt to maintain a romantic relationship by constantly paying attention to his appearance and indulging in luxuries. According to the defendants, her ex-husband, who had luxurious tastes, benefited greatly from her fraudulent spending.
She demonstrated “opportunism” by abusing her employer’s full trust.
Discourage
However, the consequences of this fraud were serious for his ex-boss. He was determined to sell the company he wanted to leave to his son. He went from being a manager to an employee and saw his family fall apart due to the tense atmosphere in the house.
Certainly a prison sentence in the community would have been consistent, but in this case denunciation and deterrence would take precedence, the judge concluded.
He then sentenced Ms McKinnon to 18 months in prison, emphasizing the significant extent of the fraud, its duration and its intent.
“Only a prison sentence is appropriate to express society’s disapproval of the woman’s behavior and to prevent similar behavior in the future,” the judge said.
Nancy McKinnon also has to repay almost $250,000 within 10 years. If she fails, she faces an additional three years in prison.
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