NDG woman charged in theft from Habs’ owners

A 27-year-old Notre-Dame-deGrâce resident is scheduled to make her first appearance at the Montreal courthouse next week on a charge alleging she stole a large sum of money from the company that owns the Montreal Canadiens. The accused, who does not have a criminal record, is alleged to have stolen “more than $5,000” from l’Aréna des Canadiens on April 8, the day after the Canadiens finished their regular season at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. She resides in an apartment building in the Côte-des-Neiges — NotreDame-de-Grâce borough next to the municipal border with Westmount. L’Aréna des Canadiens is a private company based at the Bell Centre that is owned by the Molson Family Limited Partnership and lists Geoffrey Molson, the CEO and co-owner of the hockey team, as its president. It is also the primary shareholder in the Club de hockey Canadien Inc., which controls the Montreal Canadiens. L’Aréna des Canadiens gathers several businesses under its umbrella including a restaurant inside the Bell Centre, a theatre in Little Burgundy, Evenko and the music festivals Osheaga and Heavy Montréal. The charge filed against the woman does not provide details on which part of the Aréna des Canadiens fell victim to the alleged theft. It also does not specify how much money was stolen. The reference to “more than $5,000” refers to the part of the Criminal Code under which a person can be charged for theft. Minor thefts are classified as being under $5,000 while major thefts are above that amount. A conviction under the charge comes with the possibility of a maximum 10-year prison sentence. Montreal police spokesperson Const. Andrée Anne Picard said she was unable to comment on the investigation that led to the woman being charged, because it was initiated following a complaint filed privately by the company. Picard also would not comment on how much money was allegedly stolen or whether the theft directly involved the hockey team. The woman’s first date in court is scheduled for Monday.