Registered tax agent Kylee Suzanne Pryor could avoid jail for stealing $240,000

Kylee Suzanne Pryor, 47, of Cameron Park, was represented by solicitor John Anthony when she appeared in Toronto Local Court on Tuesday for sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and destroy or conceal accounting record to obtain advantage.

Pryor was employed by Valley Accounting and Taxation Services (VATS) from 1989 until she agreed to resign in August last year, according to a statement of agreed facts.

During that time Pryor was tasked with conducting all of the bookkeeping for Medowie-based company, Farrell Transport. 

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In 2000, when owner Michael Farrell was diagnosed with cancer and had to be hospitalised, Pryor become the sole signatory of the business account.

Mr Farrell had agreed to the move in the hope it would keep his business afloat. 

But unfortunately for Mr Farrell his trust in Pryor was misplaced.

An internal examination and then police investigation revealed that between March 4, 2011, and July 28, 2017, a total of $241,160 was electronically transferred from Farrell Transport’s business account into Pryor’s personal bank accounts.

Mr Farrell had no idea about the transactions and is seeking compensation, the agreed facts state.

The discrepancies were initially discovered when a new director was appointed at VATS. An internal investigation was launched and a number of suspicious transfers from the Farrell Transport account into a private account led to Pryor. 

Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis said Pryor should be assessed for a 12-month intensive corrections order, a form of custodial sentence served in the community, and adjourned the matter until October 2. 

The court heard Pryor plans to have repaid the $240,000 by that date. 

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