Former employee defrauds Bed Bath & Beyond

Coady Daniel Gauthier pleads guilty to defrauding his former employer of more than $28,000

A former manager of Bed Bath & Beyond who defrauded the store of more than $28,000 will be back in court next month for sentencing.

Coady Daniel Gauthier, 27, appeared before Chief Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown Monday where he pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000.

The court heard Gauthier worked as the manager for Bed Bath & Beyond, which gave him the ability to create refunds and returns.

Over a period of time, Gauthier used IDs for other employees to create refunds and then alter the store’s inventory.

In total, Gauthier created almost $28,800 in false returns with his own debit card information.

Crown attorney Jeff MacDonald told the court an internal security investigation found Gauthier was responsible for the false returns.

Gauthier admitted to the returns and signed a promissory note with Bed Bath & Beyond to repay the amount he took.

MacDonald said it was clear early on in the internal investigation that Gauthier was responsible and there were no negative repercussions for any other employees.

The matter was adjourned until Sept. 20 after the defence asked for a pre-sentence report.