The former business manager of a Summerland non-profit will see no time behind bars after stealing $74,000 through personal online purchases, payroll manipulation, plane tickets and cold cash.
Julia Belmonte, now 27, was the business manager of the Kettle Valley Railway Society from summer 2021 until December 2022.
The society operates the popular Kettle Valley Steam Train, which offers trips up and down a historic portion of the KVR railway above Summerland. They rely on ticket and merchandise sales, as well as donations, to operate.
Belmonte was in charge of retail operations, payroll management, marketing and operations, staff, and other related duties during her tenure at the society.
Court heard that she started abusing that position very quickly, ostensibly escalating into using the society's money as her personal piggy bank.
The amount of money stolen acknowledged in court totals $74,171.65.
The fraud breaks down as follows:
- Personal Amazon purchases using the society's card: $9,650
- E-transferring money to herself: $6,000
- E-transferring money to herself disguised as business transactions: $5,478.70
- Keeping cash instead of depositing into business account: $34,777.30
- Manipulating payroll to increase her salary: $12,647.65
- Manipulating payroll to be incorrectly paid for statutory holidays: $4,982.85
- Using the society's credit card to buy plane tickets for her boyfriend: $635.14
Court heard that Belmonte was frequently late on work assignments and did not provide necessary data to the society's external bookkeeper, including failing to provide credit card statements.
When the society became concerned that the credit card balance was often carrying a balance that required interest, they brought in a former business manager to take a look at matters in late 2022.
Belmonte reportedly stopped attending work shortly thereafter.
The society reported the matter to RCMP in December 2022, and in early 2023, RCMP obtained and executed a search warrant for Belmonte’s home.
They found some of the personal Amazon purchase. Then, later that day, Belmonte surrendered a stand-up paddle board that had been bought with the society’s Amazon account.
As legal proceedings advanced, Belmonte eventually entered a guilty plea.
Members of the non-profit society said in a provided victim impact statement that the group was deeply financially impacted, and is also suffering an emotional cost — someone who had been a trusted member of the society had breached the faith of all involved.
Before sentencing, Belmonte spoke, with emotion in her voice.
"Obviously, I'm not standing in the courtroom with joy or pride or any positive attitude. There is exclusively shame, remorse and deep, deep apologetic feelings to not only the society but the victims in this room today," she said, adding she regularly attends counselling and has been abstaining from drugs and alcohol.
She did not explicitly offer an explanation as to why she defrauded the society.
Judge Reginald Harris sentenced Belmonte to a two-year conditional sentence, which is described as a jail sentence served in the community. Belmonte will be under strict conditions and monitoring, including house arrest.
She will also be prohibited from any sort of job, paid or volunteer, that involves financial oversight. Following her conditional sentence, she will have a further period of 20 months on probation.
Belmonte, who now lives in Kelowna, will also have to pay back the $74,171.64 to the KVR Society, over a period of seven years.
Judge Harris took into account Belmonte's lack of criminal record, youth, and apparent commitment to doing better — while also noting the consequences of his sentence.
"She will now have a criminal record, that is something that she will carry with her going forward into her adulthood, and will cause difficulty, including travel, obtaining employment, and if she has children, even as much as being a volunteer within the school system, [it] could impact that," Harris said.
"So it's a significant mark against one's character that they carry forward."
