ONTARIO COMPUTER STOLEN BY EMPLOYEE TO CONCEAL FRAUD globeandmail.com: Daycare's former supervisor charged with theft of $115,000:

Daycare's former supervisor charged with theft of $115,000

A long-time former supervisor at a small, city-subsidized daycare centre in Parkdale faces multiple fraud-related charges in a series of thefts alleged to have netted more than $100,000.

Police said the money was stolen over a five-year period and that the lengthy investigation was complicated by the fact that the ex-supervisor removed a computer and files in efforts to conceal her tracks.

Charged with a total of 11 offences is 37-year-old Andrea Neblett, who worked at the Parkdale Beach Child Care Centre from May, 2000, until December, 2005.

Arrested Thursday, she appeared at College Park court yesterday for a bail hearing. She was released, subject to a series of conditions.

Parkdale Beach cares for roughly 50 children from the ages of 3 to 12, and is inside the Queen Victoria Public School near Jameson Avenue and King Street West. Messages seeking comment from the centre were not returned and as of yesterday afternoon, Ms. Neblett, a Toronto resident with children of her own, had not retained a lawyer.

She is accused of cashing and spending cheques made out to the centre and of twice falsely presenting draft financial statements as completed audits.

She is also alleged to have obtained several cellphones in the name of the centre and used them for personal business, and to have stolen a computer that kept track of the operation's finances.

"There was nothing left when she was gone, so this [investigation] involved starting from scratch, building up the list of creditors," said Detective Michael Kelly of the 14 Division fraud office.

Parkdale Beach is not the only Toronto daycare centre alleged to have been defrauded in the past year. Last month, police issued an arrest warrant for a 60-year-old man believed to be living in Nairobi, accusing him of siphoning a total of $755,000 from 21 child-care operations.

Det. Kelly emphasized there was no suggestion of wrongdoing involving the children under Ms. Neblett's supervision. "Everybody -- even the people who dislike her -- said, to a person, that she was fantastic with the kids," he said.

Parkdale Beach is not the sole fraud victim but is by far the largest, he said. The charges also allege Ms. Neblett defrauded an unnamed person who cashed some of the cheques and "is out a fair bit of money."
In all, police estimate the alleged theft totalled about $115,000 but they say the exact total may never be known because thus far she has not been forthcoming.

"She's chosen to wait for her trial to have something to say," Det. Kelly said.