‘Someone we trusted’: Woman charged with stealing $575,000 from Alberta business

“She was really a bully friend, idiosyncratic we would person implicit for meal and get unneurotic with extracurricular of work.”

Jon Allen and his woman Myra, owners of Alberta Orthotic and Prosthetics Centre, recount however 46-year-old Monika Manhas of Gold River, B.C., was archetypal referred to them by a person erstwhile they were looking for idiosyncratic to assistance with immoderate basal book-keeping — and however she yet ended up moving with them full-time.

Their concern is making orthotics, things similar ankle braces and artificial arms and legs to assistance children, and adults, who person mobility issues resulting from muscular deficiencies, deformities oregon successful immoderate cases, a stroke.

“The quality helium makes successful people’s lives each day, redeeming lives, helium tin virtually person idiosyncratic travel successful to spot him successful a wheelchair and locomotion retired — small kids who were calved with antithetic conditions and helium tin get them to locomotion for the precise archetypal clip connected a caller leg,” Myra, beaming with pride, said astir Jon’s chosen profession.

Myra, who was trained arsenic a pharmacist, was diagnosed with bosom crab successful 2018. So, faced with a rapidly-growing business, they accidental they gave Manhas much and much responsibility, doing payroll for their twelve employees, paying suppliers and managing the company’s money.

At archetypal “there was nary denotation determination was thing going on,” — and Jon’s absorption was connected his patients, not connected keeping the books.

“We were a increasing institution and we were acquiring a batch much inventory and, you know, costs were up conscionable from adjacent salaries and stuff. So it benignant of seemed to marque sense,” said Jon.

As the institution continued to conflict to marque money, Jon said helium thought, “What the heck is going on?”

“That’s 1 of the things I’m truly bittersweet about,” added Jon. “I fto spell 1 of our clinicians because, the mode things were made to look, and you know, that clinician is simply a friend, truthful that’s erstwhile it truly started hurting people.’

Then, successful 2023, Jon and his sons were connected their mode backmost from a household wedding successful Mexico — driving from Vancouver to Calgary — erstwhile helium got a telephone from Myra who had conscionable work a property merchandise from the Calgary constabulary astir Manhas being charged with fraud — accused of embezzling $537,141 from a Calgary lipid and state company.

“So I pulled implicit and fto my older lad thrust and I conscionable started making calls,” said Jon.  “We went into my relationship and I sat till midnight — similar it was brainsick — and we went done it and I was like, my God.”

Jon and Myra said they went “straight to the constabulary to marque a report.”

“So erstwhile maine and my accountant went done it, we recovered retired successful bid to proceed, you person to get a forensic accountant,” said Jon. “So we did; that outgo $74,000.”

“My status money,” said Myra.

On Thursday, Jan 23, 2025, pursuing an probe by the Calgary Police Service economical crimes unit, Manhas was charged with fraud and theft — accused of embezzling much than $575,000 from the Allens’ household concern implicit a four-year period.

Police allege the transgression enactment began successful 2019, astir the clip Myra was diagnosed with bosom cancer.

They impeach Manhas of “making unauthorized payments and e-transfers to herself disguised arsenic advances, reimbursements and bonuses, utilizing the institution recognition paper for 290 unauthorized transactions, and utilizing institution cheques to wage for idiosyncratic items.”

She faces charges of fraud implicit $5,000 and theft implicit $5,000 and is scheduled to look successful tribunal connected March 3, 2025.

While they are inactive conscionable allegations, Jon described the charges arsenic “a relief.”

“We inactive beryllium hundreds of thousands of dollars,” helium said.

While the institution utilized to person 12 employees, it present has six, but “we are capable to support our heads supra water,” added Jon.

“We’re broke,” said Myra — “but we’re not broken.”

Global Calgary reached retired to Manhas for comment, but she has not responded.