CRA worker arrested for allegedly embezzling almost $20K in emergency benefits
A former CRA employee has been charged with allegedly embezzling almost $20,000 in emergency benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Alberta RCMP, 39-year-old Melissa Jensen Webb was arrested on August 10.
Jensen Webb, a resident of Dawson City, allegedly fraudulently obtained $20,000 from the Government of Canada by claiming the Canada Emergency Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) while working full-time as a CRA employee in Alberta, according to RCMP.
These benefits were implemented by the federal government for Canadians who lost their jobs or were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The alleged incidents took place between April 2020 and January 2021, state police.
A warrant for Jensen Webb’s arrest was issued in July 2023, following an RCMP investigation.
Jensen Webb faces several charges, including fraud over $5,000, unauthorized use of a computer to commit fraud, and breach of trust by a public officer.
“The act of accessing and altering data on any internal database is an extreme abuse of one’s position,” stated Sgt. John Lamming of the Alberta RCMP in a release.
“By manipulating these systems, the accused personally benefitted from fraudulent payments.”
Jensen Webb is scheduled to appear in Stony Plain Provincial Court in Alberta on September 20.