Penticton British Columbia - The former manager of Summerland's Kettle Valley Steam Railway pleaded guilty to fraud related to stealing upwards of $50,000 from the tourist attraction.
 
Julia Beatrice Belmonte, born in 1997, entered the guilty plea to the charge of fraud over $5,000 in Penticton Provincial Court on 26 Nov 2024.
 
She was also charged with one count of theft over $5,000, and according to court records she did not plea guilty to that charge.
 
The former business manager of the KVR's society allegedly redirected funds through e-transfers for unapproved overtime pay and an unauthorized wage hike, plus cash from operations that never found its way into the KVR's bank accounts.
 
It is not clear what is covered by the fraud charge and not by the theft charge at this time.
 
The charges were laid in March of 2024, and cover a period stretching from July of 2021 to November of 2022.
 
Belmonte's next scheduled court appearance is to receive a pre-sentencing report at the end of January, 2025.
 
Brennan Phillips.