A Surrey woman is facing charges for allegedly taking more than $35,000 from the parent advisory council (PAC) at École K.B. Woodward last year.
On Sept. 16, 2016, the Surrey school contacted police to report the PAC had been defrauded, sparking an investigation by the RCMP Economic Crime Unit.
Officers quickly identified a suspect.
On July 21, Tuyet Ngo was charged with fraud over $5,000; theft over $5,000 and using forged bank statements. The 31-year-old turned herself in to police on July 24 after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
WATCH: Money for Vancouver Island playground disappears
The PAC at École K.B. Woodward had been saving up for three years to build a new playground. That money, as much as $30,000, is now gone.
A similar incident happened in 2015 when $40,000 earmarked for a playground was stolen from the PAC at Keating Elementary School in Saanich. Following a police investigation, a former PAC treasurer pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000.
Following the theft of the PAC money, businesses, individuals and the K.B. Woodward school community came together and raised the funds to cover the loss.
Ngo’s next court appearance is July 31 at Surrey Provincial Court.
— With files from Jon Azpiri