Former Auditor Pleads Guilty to Spending $2.3M Mistakenly Sent to Her Account

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A former internal auditor of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association Co-operative Credit Union has pleaded guilty to simple larceny after spending more than $2.3 million that was mistakenly sent to her bank account.

Feleisha Gordon-Outar, the accused, appeared before Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court. On July 11, 2024, the credit union inadvertently deposited $2,359,242.90 into Gordon-Outar’s account following her resignation from the institution. The error was discovered on August 24, 2024, prompting the credit union to contact Gordon-Outar and request the funds’ return.

According to the credit union, Gordon-Outar had initially requested six months to repay the money but subsequently failed to return any of the funds. Instead, it was revealed in court that she had withdrawn and spent the entire sum within a month.

During the proceedings, Gordon-Outar’s attorney claimed there was a misunderstanding regarding the purpose of the funds and assured the court of her client’s intention to repay the money. However, Judge Burrell questioned the sincerity of her intentions, remarking, “She spent the people’s money.”

A representative from the credit union expressed disappointment, noting that the funds were member fees. “She knows what we do there,” the representative told the court, citing Gordon-Outar’s familiarity with the credit union’s operations as a former employee.

The credit union had denied her request for a six-month repayment period and insisted that the funds be returned within a month, given the swift manner in which they were spent. Additionally, it was disclosed that Gordon-Outar is already in debt to the credit union for other loans.

Judge Burrell ordered Gordon-Outar to repay the full amount by December 20, 2024. Her sentencing has been deferred until that date.