“She was actually a good friend, somebody we would have over for dinner and get together with outside of work.”
Jon Allen and his wife Myra, owners of Alberta Orthotic and Prosthetics Centre, recount how 46-year-old Monika Manhas of Gold River, B.C., was first referred to them by a friend when they were looking for someone to help with some basic book-keeping — and how she eventually ended up working with them full-time.
Monkia Manhas of Gold River, B.C. is accused of stealing more than $575,000 from a Calgary family business over 4-years — just years after being charged with embezzling a similar amount from a Calgary oil and gas company.
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Their business is making orthotics, things like ankle braces and artificial arms and legs to help children, and adults, who have mobility issues resulting from muscular deficiencies, deformities or in some cases, a stroke.
“The difference he makes in people’s lives every day, saving lives, he can literally have somebody come in to see him in a wheelchair and walk out — little kids who were born with different conditions and he can get them to walk for the very first time on a new leg,” Myra, beaming with pride, said about Jon’s chosen profession.
Myra Allen beams with pride when she talks about her husband Jon’s chosen profession and “the difference he makes in people’s lives every day.”
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Myra, who was trained as a pharmacist, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. So, faced with a rapidly-growing business, they say they gave Manhas more and more responsibility, doing payroll for their dozen employees, paying suppliers and managing the company’s money.
At first “there was no indication there was anything going on,” — and Jon’s focus was on his patients, not on keeping the books.
“We were a growing company and we were acquiring a lot more inventory and, you know, costs were up just from even salaries and stuff. So it kind of seemed to make sense,” said Jon.
As the company continued to struggle to make money, Jon said he thought, “What the heck is going on?”
The owners of the Alberta Orthotics and Prosthetics Centre, in Calgary, say the woman charged with stealing more than $500,000 from them used to be considered ‘a good friend.”
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“That’s one of the things I’m really sad about,” added Jon. “I let go one of our clinicians because, the way things were made to look, and you know, that clinician is a friend, so that’s when it really started hurting people.’
The Alberta Orthotic and Prosthetics Centre specializes in making orthotics, braces and artificial limbs for children and adults who have mobility issues like muscular deficiencies or deformities.
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Then, in 2023, Jon and his sons were on their way back from a family wedding in Mexico — driving from Vancouver to Calgary — when he got a call from Myra who had just read a press release from the Calgary police about Manhas being charged with fraud — accused of embezzling $537,141 from a Calgary oil and gas company.
“So I pulled over and let my older boy drive and I just started making calls,” said Jon. “We went into my account and I sat till midnight — like it was crazy — and we went through it and I was like, my God.”
Jon and Myra said they went “straight to the police to make a report.”
“So once me and my accountant went through it, we found out in order to proceed, you have to get a forensic accountant,” said Jon. “So we did; that cost $74,000.”
“My retirement money,” said Myra.
On Thursday, Jan 23, 2025, following an investigation by the Calgary Police Service economic crimes unit, Manhas was charged with fraud and theft — accused of embezzling more than $575,000 from the Allens’ family business over a four-year period.
Police allege the criminal activity began in 2019, around the time Myra was diagnosed with breast cancer.
They accuse Manhas of “making unauthorized payments and e-transfers to herself disguised as advances, reimbursements and bonuses, using the company credit card for 290 unauthorized transactions, and using company cheques to pay for personal items.”
She faces charges of fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000 and is scheduled to appear in court on March 3, 2025.
While they are still just allegations, Jon described the charges as “a relief.”
“We still owe hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said.
While the company used to have 12 employees, it now has six, but “we are able to keep our heads above water,” added Jon.
“We’re broke,” said Myra — “but we’re not broken.”
Global Calgary reached out to Manhas for comment, but she has not responded.