A Squamish woman accused of defrauding two employers of roughly $200,000 has pleaded guilty to two charges.
North Vancouver RCMP began investigating accountant Allyson Steffensen in 2019 after her employer came forward with their suspicions. A second business owner who Steffensen worked for reported a large sum of money missing in December 2020.
After a complex RCMP investigation, the Crown swore four counts of fraud over $5,000 and four counts of theft over $5,000 against Steffensen in February 2023.
Steffensen and her lawyer appeared by video in North Vancouver provincial court on Tuesday to enter guilty pleas on two counts of theft over $5,000.
Two businesses that were victimized by Steffensen were mentioned in the court proceedings – a Lynn Valley dentist and Pacific Blue Cross Health Benefits Society.
Her lawyer and the Crown requested that the sentencing hearing be put off for three months “in order for Ms. Steffensen to essentially finish making restitution before the sentencing.”
Steffensen is due back in court in April.
At the time the original charges were sworn, Steffensen was working in a payroll position for the Sea to Sky School District. A spokesperson for the school district confirmed Tuesday that Steffensen is no longer employed there.
