A woman in her 30s is facing fraud charges after more than $35,000 was reported missing from a Surrey elementary school's parent council fund.
The charges stem from a report filed by the parent advisory council (PAC) from Ecole K.B. Woodward, who contacted police in September 2016. The PAC reached out after discovering that tens of thousands of dollars had vanished from the account where it kept its funds.
The money had been raised over three years through initiatives like bottle drives and bake sales. The school was close to reaching its goal of $50,000 earmarked for a new playground.
Mounties began an investigation, and said that they'd quickly identified a suspect. No charges were laid at the time, but in a statement issued Tuesday police identified the woman they believe is to blame.
Tuyet Ngo, a 31-year-old from Surrey, has been charged with fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000 and using forged bank statements. She turned herself in on Monday, police said, after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
She is due to appear in court on July 31.
"The victims in this incident were the students at K.B. Woodward and the surrounding neighbourhood,"Cpl. Scotty Schumann said in the statement.
Fortunately for the children at the elementary school, the community came together and raised the money needed for the new playground, with the help of a $30,000 donation from a developer.
