Article content

A one-time manager of a city real estate firm has been charged with fraud and theft for allegedly bilking the company and its charitable wing of more than $700,000.

City police say the fraud occurred over four years when a woman acting as operations manager for the Calgary office of Colliers International wrote 90 cheques to herself and another organization she controlled, the Canadian Progress Club — Mount Royal.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Former Colliers office manager charged with embezzling more than $700,000 Back to video

Funds taken from those cheques and the real estate firm’s charitable arm totalled more than $561,000, say police.

To cover up those thefts, it’s alleged the woman then forged cheques from the Colliers corporate account to its charitable foundation’s account worth about $147,000.

Someone with Colliers “discovered money had been missing from the foundation’s account last March,” said Det. Tanya Bertulli.

During a 10-month investigation, police allege the woman used money from those crimes to purchase a vehicle and other items, along with two homes in Calgary and two B.C. properties.