A former loan officer at a Sylvan Lake bank has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1 million.
Sarah Miles Brouilette, of Red Deer, pleaded guilty to a single count of fraud over $5,000 in Red Deer provincial court Monday.
Brouilette was also facing two charges of possession of property obtained by crime and single counts of theft over $5,000 and possession of the proceeds of crime.
“She admits she committed fraud over $5,000,” defence lawyer Maurice Collard told Judge Jim Hunter.
The case was adjourned until March 1, when details about what Brouilette is admitting to will be revealed and a sentencing date is set. The defence will request a pre-sentence report, which is prepared to give judges more information about the accused and the circumstances around their crime.
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Collard expects by then to “have the facts sorted out” with the Crown prosecutor from the specialized prosecutions office in Calgary. An agreed statement of facts will then be presented in court.
Brouilette left the courtroom in tears following her brief appearance.
The woman, who was 38 when RCMP announced the charges last June, worked at ATB Financial in Sylvan Lake, where it is alleged she obtained fraudulent loans worth $1,148,020.
Sylvan Lake RCMP began their investigation in August 2017, after receiving a report from ATB alleging that an employee had forged a customer’s signature and obtained a loan.
Red Deer RCMP’s fraud unit took over the file and worked closely with ATB corporate investigations to trace a series of fraudulent transactions.
It is alleged that Brouilette used the personal information of clients and others known to her to obtain fraudulent loans.
She was fired when the allegations came to light. None of the alleged victims lost any money.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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