A St. John’s woman who defrauded her employers of almost $150,000 will serve her sentence in the community while she works to pay back the money.

Between 2015 and 2016, Tania Breen was vice-president of finance at the incorporated companies Tidewater Utilities Ltd. and CableLync Inc. when she swindled a total of $132,021.87.

The 43-year-old used more than $62,000 in unauthorized visa transactions on both companies’ credit cards that included cash advances and unauthorized personal purchases. She took close to $16,000 to renovate her home and about $46,000 for overpayments to her then-husband, who also worked at one of the companies, for hours not worked or for higher hourly rates not approved by the company. The total also includes almost $8,000 for unearned salary paid to her son, who only worked one day for one of the companies.

After Breen was charged in relation to these offences in 2017, she was charged with a second set of offences in 2019. Those involved frauds of more than $15,000 while she was the comptroller at Avalon Controls. The owner was alerted to her offences after receiving a letter from the sheriff’s office with an order to garnish her wages in relation to the previous frauds. She was immediately fired.

Breen eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud over $5,000. She told the court she took the money to deal with her son’s alcohol and drug addiction. He died of a cocaine overdose in 2019.

As for the home renovations, she had no explanation.

Crown prosecutor Kellie Cullihall recommended a 12- to 14-month jail term, calling it a serious breach of trust.

Defence lawyer Jon Noonan said Breen should get a conditional sentence. He pointed out Breen is a first-time offender who was deemed a low risk to reoffend in her pre-sentence report.

She was hired in July 2019 as accounting clerk at Offshore Recruiting Services Inc., where the owner has agreed to help her pay restitution.

Provincial court Judge James Walsh decided a conditional sentence was appropriate, with two years’ probation and a restitution order to pay $15,633.30 — $10,000 of that to Avalon Controls’ insurance company. There was a default judgment already entered against her in a civil case filed by Tidewater and CableLync.

While Breen’s conduct was concerning, Walsh said, he recognizes the need for her to pay back the money. That, he said, can be best be achieved if she maintains her employment.