Teen on $600,000 bail for allegedly embezzling $1.4M from employer

A 19-year-old office assistant of Good Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD) has been granted $600,000 bail after being accused of embezzling over $1.4 million from her employer.
The teen, Serena Samuels appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty on Friday where she was not required to plea.
Samuels, entrusted with managing the company’s petty cash and handling daily cash sales, allegedly failed to submit cash reports and account for funds over a period of several weeks, leading to suspicions of financial misconduct.
The alleged theft came to light after Beacon Roti’s owner reportedly noticed a lack of daily cash reports from Samuels. Concerned by the irregularity, the owner conducted an internal audit. The audit, which covered the period from March 14 to April 2, 2024, reportedly uncovered a shortfall totaling $1,451,360. When questioned, Samuels was reportedly unable to provide explanations for the missing funds.
Following the audit’s findings, the employer filed a report with police. Investigators contacted Samuels, informing her of the serious allegations. She was subsequently arrested and charged with 12 counts of embezzlement.
Samuels appeared in court unrepresented, where she admitted to the court that she hoped to reach a compromise to repay the money. However, she explained that her financial situation is challenging, as she has been unemployed for some time and only recently secured a new job.
The prosecution argued the case’s severity, citing the large sum of unaccounted funds and her position of trust within the business. She was released on bail and the case will continue on November 29.