EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story described Access Resources as a non-profit. It is, in fact, a private enterprise.
In a civil suit launched in B.C. Supreme Court, the owner of Access Resources, a for-profit organization that provides services for disabled youth and adults, claims that more than $2 million went missing while Carey and Doug Earl worked at the organization.
Carey was the bookeeper and Doug was a counsellor.
Court documents show that Access Resources alleges that Carey Earl took more than $2 million from the organization before she was fired last year. The document goes on to say she used more than $1.1 million to pay her credit cards and that the rest of the money can’t be accounted for.
In an affidavit, the owner of Access Resources claims Carey Earl admitted to the thefts, but disputes how much she allegedly took.
The affidavit states: On or about October 26, 2018, I confronted the defendant, Carey Earl with the thefts and she admitted that she had stolen, misappropriated and/or embezzled funds from the plaintiff’s accounts as outlined above. The defendant, Carey Earl, stated to me, “You are right, I stole from you. Do what you need to do and I will plead guilty at court.”
In their defence, Earl maintains they earned the money. The court document reads:
“A significant amount of the money alleged to have been stolen was money the defendants were legitimately entitled to receive from the plaintiff in wages, contract, or other payments.”
Global News attempted to contact the Earls, but they were not home in Lake Country and have yet to return our calls.
No one at Access Resources would comment on camera, but did issue a statement to the effect that it has conducted an internal audit and that the findings have been turned over to the RCMP.
Access Resources emphasizes that this is still a civil case and that none of the allegations have been proven in court. But what it really wants to emphasize is the fact that, despite this investigation, none of the services that Access Resources to its clients have been, or will be impacted by the investigation.