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Inquiry into theft set

Two Sylvan Lake residents accused of stealing more than $72,000 while working at the O’Chiese First Nation Gas Bar will have a preliminary inquiry in Rocky Mountain House provincial court on May 20.

Two Sylvan Lake residents accused of stealing more than $72,000 while working at the O’Chiese First Nation Gas Bar will have a preliminary inquiry in Rocky Mountain House provincial court on May 20.

A preliminary inquiry is held to determine if there is enough evidence to warrant an accused be tried in Court of Queen’s Bench.

An independent audit of the gas bar’s financial records led to suspicions that unauthorized charges were made on a credit card associated to the business between March 2010 and June 2011.

The RCMP Calgary Commercial Crime Unit were called in to investigate which resulted in criminal charges against two former employees.

Police also allege that a document was forged during the audit in an effort to justify the personal use of the credit card.

Kevin Thomas, 51, and Deborah Thomas, 50, are charged jointly with theft over $5,000, forgery and uttering a forged document.