A Windsor woman has been sentenced to 30-months in prison for defrauding local companies of almost $1-million.
59-year old Nada Khalaf pleaded guilty to several charges including fraud over $5000 and uttering forged documents when she worked as a book-keeper for a Leamington produce company from 2005 to 2012 and a Windsor manufacturing company from 2012 to 2015.
Court early heard she defrauded Service Mold and Aerospace of $682,000 through more than 130 fake payroll deposits, petty cash expenditures and forged cheques.
The company owner notified authorities after he started his own investigation in early 2015 when he heard his former employee had been charged in a similar case involving a different company in Leamington.
Khalaf admitted to a major gambling addiction, telling the court she did it to get away from the illness in her family and for the high.
Khalaf told the court she was sorry for what she had done and hoped the victims could eventually forgive her.
Khalaf admitted to a gambling addiction and Assistant Crown Attorney Scott Kerwin says one of the workplaces suffered layoffs as a result of her actions.
"As you heard from the victim impact statements from one of the corporate owners, it can have a devastating impact and consequences not only for the viability of the corporation but its employees, so it is a significant offence."
"I'm satisfied with the sentence imposed," says Kerwin. "I think from what I've learned from one of my colleagues who was present for the delivery for the decision, it sounds well reasoned and emphasized a lot of the aggravated mitigating factors that were present in this case."
Kerwin hopes the sentence sends a message to the community.
"General deterrence is a principle that applies to sentencing and certainly hope this speaks to those like-minded persons who are contemplating similar conduct," adds Kerwin.
Khalaf told the court at the time she was involved in the fraud her mother was dying of cancer and she had cancer. He husband also has Stage Four cancer and one of her three children committed suicide.
There is no order of restitution but civil suits are pending.