British Columbia

Fraudster jailed for taking PAC money meant for new school playground

A woman has been sentenced for defrauding a Surrey elementary school of at least $20,000 meant to fund a new playground for students.

Tuyet Ngo ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution

RCMP have laid charges after investigating the disappearance of funds from the account of the parent advisory council at École K.B. Woodward in Surrey. (Google Maps)

A woman has been sentenced for defrauding a Surrey elementary school of at least $20,000 meant to fund a new playground for students.

Tuey Ngo pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 using a forged bank statement to defraud the École K.B. Woodward Elementary PAC in 2016.

On Thursday, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail to be served intermittently. She was also handed two years probation and ordered to pay $20,314 in restitution.

The school PAC reported the money missing in September 2016. It took three years to fundraise.

Members of the committee said the bank account had been completely emptied without their knowledge.

After the money was stolen, the community rallied to raised enough money to offset the PAC's loss.

Ngo, 31, is also banned for five years from taking a job or volunteering in any position where she'd need to have authority over property or money.

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