A former employee of Millbrook First Nation is facing charges in what police say is a “multi-million-dollar fraud.”
In a release, the Nova Scotia RCMP said officers received a report from the chief and council of Millbrook First Nation in December 2019 about “a possible fraud committed by a previous employee.”
“At the time of the initial report, the fraud was believed to have been in excess of one million dollars,” the release said.
The RCMP’s commercial crime section took over the investigation, with assistance from the RCMP digital forensic services and Public Services and Procurement Canada’s forensic accounting management group.
“Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the ex-employee had either stolen or misappropriated over four million dollars, over a four-year period between January 2016 and December 2019,” the release said.
The employee, 42-year-old Dawn Ellis-Abbott of Bible Hill, was arrested on March 17 and later released on conditions.
She has since been charged with fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. She is scheduled to appear in Truro Provincial Court on May 24.
“The RCMP would like to thank the Millbrook First Nation Chief and Council for their cooperation and support of our investigation,” the release said.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Chief Bob Gloade acknowledged the recent charges “for the theft of funds that rightfully belong to our community.”
“We are pleased to see that steps are being taken towards a resolution and that Ms. Ellis-Abbott will be held responsible,” the statement said.
“Our community remains committed to ensuring that justice is served and that the appropriate measures are taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.”