A woman in BC is facing several charges after allegedly defrauding a non-profit organization out of over $1.7 million.
The Victoria Police Department (VicPD) said in a statement that Galyna Kulykova was arrested in December 2023.
She is accused of defrauding an unnamed non-profit where she worked as a bookkeeper.
Court records confirm that she is facing charges of fraud over $5,000, theft over 5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime.
Investigators said that they received a report from the non-profit on Dec. 6, 2023.
The organization was going through a scheduled audit, and it was allegedly revealed Kulykova had been wiring money from the organization to her personal accounts since earlier in the year.
An RCMP Police Liaison Officer based at the Canadian Embassy in Turkey, as well as the Nanaimo RCMP, the Canadian Border Services Agency and the US Customs and Border Protection Agency worked with the VicPD to locate and arrest Kulykova at the Vancouver International Airport while she was returning to Canada.
She was later released with conditions, pending a future court date.
“I’m proud of the officers involved for their prompt investigative work and coordination with other agencies to make this arrest and recover funds,” says VicPD Chief Del Manak.
“This is a clear example of how our efforts put money back into the hands of citizens and businesses in Victoria and Esquimalt.”
So far, investigators have identified over $1.7 million in stolen funds and have recovered about $900,000, with additional work ongoing to recover the full amount—much of which was used to purchase various assets including gold, cryptocurrency and a new vehicle.
Investigators believe there may be additional organizations that have also been defrauded by Kulykova and are asking for any potential victims, or those with additional information, to call the E-Comm Report Desk at (250) 995-7654 extension 1 and reference file number 23-45435.
To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or submit a tip online at Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers.
