Kelowna woman jailed for Nanaimo hospice fraud

A woman charged with fraud and theft from a Kelowna hospice has been jailed in Nanaimo for similar crimes.

Susan Steen is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the Central Okanagan Hospice Association while she worked there between 2012 and 2016. In conjunction, Melanie Gray is accused of stealing $69,000, both by using the hospice’s credit card.

In November, Global News contacted Steen, who admits she made mistakes and that she was dealing with a gambling problem.

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“A profound gambling problem, actually,” she said over the phone.

WATCH BELOW: (Aired Dec. 11, 2018) Extended interview with an alleged Kelowna hospice fraudster.

1:45 Extended interview with alleged Kelowna hospice fraudster

After Steen left Kelowna, she was hired as the executive director for the Nanaimo Community Hospice Society. There, she stole about $6,000 before being caught and fired.

Steen plead guilty to that theft in April. Nanaimo media say that on Thursday, a judge sentenced the 71-year-old to four months in jail, two years of probation and $17,000 in restitution.

Steen and Gray are back in Kelowna court on January 8th.