According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), an individual residing in Yukon and a former employee of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is suspected of misappropriating nearly $20,000 from government aid funds.
Melissa Jensen Webb was taken into custody and charged on August 10 in connection with alleged activities involving two federal assistance programs: the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB).
In an official press release on Wednesday, law enforcement stated that at the time of the alleged offenses, Jensen Webb was employed by the CRA in Alberta.
The RCMP’s financial crime division asserts that between April 2020 and January 2021, Jensen Webb engaged in embezzlement by making false claims for CERB and CRCB benefits. These financial aids were introduced by the federal government to assist individuals who were jobless or adversely affected by the pandemic. They were aimed at workers who were laid off due to business closures, as well as those who had to resign from their jobs to care for their children when educational institutions shut down.
Although the RCMP did not provide an extensive outline of its case, it commented on the allegations by stating, “Manipulating internal databases in such a manner constitutes an egregious misuse of one’s position.”
Sergeant John Lammin, a member of Alberta’s Provincial Financial Crime Team, remarked in the official announcement, “By exploiting these systems, the accused profited personally through deceitful disbursements.”
The 39-year-old individual now confronts various charges, including fraud exceeding $5,000, unauthorized computer access, and the improper acquisition of confidential information.
Currently residing in Dawson City, Yukon, a town with around 2,000 residents, Jensen Webb is scheduled to make an appearance in the Stony Plain Provincial Court in Alberta on September 20.