Employee began siphoning money from company's accounts within year of starting role: report
An office administrator from North New Brighton has admitted to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer over a seven-year period, with the full extent of her crimes only recently uncovered.
Sasha-Maree Phillips, 49, pleaded guilty on Friday at the Christchurch District Court to charges of theft by a person in a special relationship and dishonestly accessing a computer system. Her fraudulent activities targeted Burnside Contractors, a company she had been employed with since 2015.
According to court documents reviewed by The Press, Phillips began siphoning money from the company’s accounts within a year of starting her role. Over the next seven years, she used her access to the company’s BNZ online banking system to create false payments and modify invoices, directing substantial sums of money into her own account.
The total amount stolen is still under review, but it is understood to be in the hundreds of thousands, with initial estimates suggesting the figure could exceed $500,000.
The fraud came to light when Burnside Contractors noticed an irregularity in their financial records in June of the previous year. A company spokesperson told The Press, “We started digging, turned over some rocks, and more crabs came out.”
This discovery prompted an extensive internal investigation, revealing a complex scheme of fraudulent transactions stretching back seven years.
‘Poor excuse’ by fraudulent employee
The Press noted Phillips was confronted by her employer but provided a “poor excuse.” She subsequently called in sick the following day and resigned by the end of the week.
The financial discrepancy, initially a minor concern, uncovered a significant breach of trust that has severely impacted the company’s finances.
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“It’s made a reasonable dent,” the spokesperson told The Press, noting that the company is still dealing with the aftermath of Phillips’ actions.
Following her guilty plea, Phillips was remanded on bail until her next court appearance in November. This delay will allow for the involvement of forensic accountants to confirm the exact amount stolen. A sentencing date will be set thereafter.
Theft by an employee does not automatically mean that their employment can be terminated, according to two employment lawyers.
Warning to fraudsters
Detective Sergeant Mike Freeman, head of the Canterbury police’s fraud squad, issued a stern warning to others in financial administration roles.
“They are going to get caught. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. There’s always a slip-up and it comes back to roost. It’s just not worth it.”
Phillips’ case is the latest in a string of high-profile fraud incidents in Christchurch, according to The Press. Other recent cases include Tracy Jane Littlewood’s guilty plea to defrauding her employer, BG Contracting, of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Victoria Duff’s imprisonment for embezzling nearly $80,000 from a steel frame manufacturing business.