Teen’s almost-$1.4M embezzlement charge dismissed after full repayment

A 19-year-old former office assistant, who once faced public scrutiny over accusations of embezzling more than $1.3 million from her former employer, had the charge dismissed in court on Friday.

Serena Samuels of Good Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD) appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where the embezzlement charge brought against her in April was formally withdrawn.
The decision came after her former employer confirmed that the full amount of money had been repaid. Samuels, a former employee of Beacon Roti Café on Sheriff Street, Georgetown was first charged after the café’s owner conducted an internal audit and discovered major discrepancies in the daily cash sales and petty cash records. Samuels had been entrusted with handling financial transactions at the business, including submitting daily cash reports, responsibilities which she allegedly neglected.
The employer, upon noticing inconsistencies in the books and realising that a large sum was unaccounted for, contacted the police. An investigation was launched, and Samuels was arrested and charged shortly thereafter. At the time, she appeared in court unrepresented and was granted $600,000 bail.
During her first court appearance, the teen expressed a desire to make amends and had indicated her willingness to repay the funds. She reportedly told the Magistrate that she was unemployed and was facing financial hardship, but still wanted to pursue a resolution through compensation.
On Friday, as she reappeared before the court, Magistrate McGusty inquired about her progress in settling the matter. Samuels then presented a letter confirming the repayment of the funds. Also, during the proceedings, a representative from Beacon Cafe appeared virtually via Zoom and confirmed to the court that the company had received the full amount owed.
With the complainant satisfied and no objection raised to the matter being withdrawn, Magistrate McGusty officially dismissed the charge.