A New Zealand accountant was recently jailed for theft. A small clothing label by the name of Bettie Monroe was bleeding money and they didn’t even know it.
For many years, the joint clothing boutique business was suffering at the hands of someone they trusted. The accountant, Roopa Patel was using an array of methods to steal, taking advantage of the trust the business owners put in her. The accountant was hired in 2011 to help the small business grow but eventually all it led to was stress and debt.
Roopa Patel committed a series of crimes including faking tax documents and producing fake accounts. These actions severely impacted Bettie Monroe’s owners and directly resulted in them closing up multiple shops.
Despite theft and fraud, eventually, the business was able to recover. Roopa Patel was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for her offences. She had continued stealing when one of the owners was going through a mastectomy. The judge said “Patel’s theft was for her own personal gain and the abuse of trust was “rather extreme”.”
More than 2 million was stolen over the years, although Roopa Patel’s lawyer insists she has nothing. According to him, she is in debt and filed for financial peril.
Just because the business Bettie Monroe is small doesn’t mean fraud like this seep through unnoticed. Eventually, falsified documents come to light and consequences for deceptive practices. Despite the actions of Patel, the business is able to recover and the owners are grateful for the case to be closed.
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