How did a Guelph employee allegedly steal $200,000 from two workplaces undetected?

Though the employee was fired shortly after the discovery, the paper trail didn't end there. By late 2025, a neighboring police agency reached out to Guelph investigators after discovering a parallel pattern: The same individual was allegedly accepting venue deposits for events outside the city that were never actually booked.

For anyone who has put down a deposit on a wedding venue or a holiday party — or who runs a small business that relies on an employee’s word rather than a paper trail — this case is a reminder of how much money can move through invoices and deposits before anyone notices something is wrong.

How did the alleged scheme work?

Guelph police say the 41-year-old man was arrested on August 18 and has been charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000. He’s scheduled to appear in court on November 3.

In the first case, the alleged fraud relied on his access to invoicing for event bookings — he could generate paperwork, demand payment and collect it, all without a second person checking the numbers against what customers actually owed.

In the second, the scheme flipped: Instead of overbilling for real events, he allegedly collected deposits for events that were never going to happen. Both versions work the same way — money changes hands based on a document or a promise, and no one double-checks it until the customer or the business notices something is missing.

Why did it take so long to add up?

What makes this case notable isn’t the amount — it’s the timeline. More than a year passed between the first business catching on and a second police service making contact. That gap is common in invoice and deposit fraud: Each victim only sees their own piece of the picture, and there’s often no shared flag on a name across jurisdictions until an investigator makes the connection.

Cases like this highlight how easily a former employee can remain an active risk — particularly in fluid industries such as hospitality and event planning, where individuals frequently transition to new venues or pivot into freelance work.

What should you check before paying an event deposit?

If you’re booking a wedding, corporate event or holiday party, a few habits reduce your risk:

• Pay by credit card where possible, not e-transfer to a personal account — credit cards offer chargeback protection if a service is never delivered
• Ask for a contract that spells out the total cost, deposit amount and refund policy, sent from the business’s official email domain
• Confirm the booking directly with a manager or a general inquiries line, not only the person who took your deposit
• Watch for pressure to pay quickly, in cash, or outside normal invoicing — the same conditions that made it easier for the alleged scheme in this case to go unnoticed

How can businesses guard against this kind of fraud?

Small and mid-size businesses that handle a lot of cash or deposits — hospitality, events and retail among them — are common targets for this style of internal fraud because one employee often controls both the invoice and the collection. A few controls make it harder:

• Separate the person who issues invoices from the person who reconciles payments against a booking calendar or contract
• Reconcile deposits weekly against confirmed events, not just at month-end
• Route customer payments through a company account or payment processor, never an individual employee’s card or e-transfer

The most expensive part of a scheme like this usually isn’t the theft itself — it’s the year or more it can run before anyone checks the paperwork against reality. Whether you’re paying a deposit or approving one, the fix is the same: build in one independent check before the money moves, not after.