Vic agent pleads guilty

THE owners of a Victorian travel agency have been forced to delay retirement and sell properties to compensate clients, after one of their consultants stole $670,000 in customer funds to fuel an online gambling habit.

Details of the case were aired yesterday, as the outcome of an investigation into the theft by 58-year-old travel agent Annette Roberts who was charged two months ago (TD 21 Jun).

Kay and Bruce Reid from Travel and Cruise North East in Wangaratta told the ABC that while they were pleased that none of their clients were out of pocket due to the embezzlement, “we are now deeply concerned and anxious” after the triple whammy of the fraud along with the impacts of last year’s bushfires and the pandemic.

The thefts, which saw Roberts plead guilty in the County Court of Vic yesterday, started in 2017 not long after she began working at the travel agency.

Court documents indicated the diversion of 522 client refunds worth $628,598 to her own bank accounts between Apr 2018 and Sep last year.

Roberts also stole more than $40,000 by putting refunded cash onto prepaid travel money cards in the names of clients.

The thefts were uncovered after a client enquired about a refund, with Roberts eventually admitting to taking the money when she was confronted by the Reids.

The consultant had attempted to make amends by repaying about $22,500, and then proposed a $250 per week payment plan and a lump sum of $30,000, before the fraud was referred to police.

After yesterday’s plea hearing she was taken into custody, with sentencing expected to be finalised later this month.