He considered her his right-hand man in the company, but she stole a little more than $400,000 from him: a woman was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in prison for defrauding the president of the SME where she worked for more than two decades.
Andrée Brenu Prénovost was facing two counts of fraud and forging false documents. She pleaded guilty earlier this summer at the Longueuil courthouse before Judge Dannie Leblanc.
Now retired and aged 73, she abused the trust of her employer, Michel Joanisse, by unknowingly extorting $400,565 from his company’s profits.
Prosecutor Me Marie-Soleil Leclerc suggested a sentence of 36 months in prison. The defense lawyer, Me Olivier Béliveau, was more inclined to favor a sentence of two years less a day in home prison, citing his client’s health problems. She has difficulty moving around due to severe osteoarthritis in both hips and her condition requires numerous medical appointments.
The judge, however, ruled: Mme Brenu Prénovost will spend two and a half years behind bars.
Counterfeit Checks
The accused was the first employee of Jolarspec Inc., a small clothing importing company owned by Michel Joanisse. She carved out a special place for herself within the company: her boss listened attentively to her on important decisions. He considered her his right-hand woman for years.
But out of sight, she forged checks in her name by imitating her boss’s signature, according to the facts stated by Judge Leblanc in the courtroom.
She cancelled the checks in the computer system after depositing the money into her bank account. In total, 104 fake checks were produced through this subterfuge, totaling $400,565.
The fraudster managed the company’s expenses and income alone. She even showed reluctance when it came time to modernize the accounting system, for fear that her deception would be exposed.
It was a Revenu Québec auditor who discovered the scam in 2019 during an audit. He noticed the presence of the disputed checks, which had never been signed by the company president.
Michel Joanisse therefore hires a private detective to investigate the matter.
Shame and betrayal
Andrée Brenu Prénovost used the stolen money to finance her daughter’s figure skating competitions and private school education, according to what was said in court.
Her annual salary when she works five days a week is $60,000.
The judge, however, described her as evasive and offhand when it came time to explain what the rest of the money, nearly $300,000, would have been used for.
The accused allegedly bought a new car and led a slightly more luxurious lifestyle.
She altered the bank statements, taking steps to try to cover up her actions.
Judge Dannie Leblanc, Thursday
The accused tried to win back the money in vain by gambling at the casino and buying lottery tickets. Feeling remorseful, she offered the victim a refund of $150 per month.
Shame and an immense feeling of betrayal: the victim explained to the Court that he felt manipulated by “a person he greatly respected”.
Despite promises, no money has been returned to him for almost five years.
In addition to the 30-month prison sentence, the judge ordered the repayment of the $400,565 within 10 years of the accused’s parole.