The former president and CEO of the Art Gallery of Calgary has been charged with fraud.
Calgary police launched an investigation in August after witnesses came forward alleging that the Art Gallery of Calgary had been defrauded of a substantial sum of money.
Police say the charges are connected to allegations dating back to July 2005, and that the loss to the gallery is believed to be more than $438,000.
Valerie Anne Cooper, 56, of Calgary was arrested Wednesday and charged with six counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count each of theft under $5,000, mischief, obstruction and falsifying documents.
The Art Gallery of Calgary recently launched a civil suit against Cooper. According to court documents, she charged $89,250 to the art gallery for supposed exhibition development that, it is alleged, went to her personal rental accommodation in downtown Calgary.
A further $185,129 was charged for gallery services and works of art supposedly purchased on behalf of the AGC. No such services were rendered and, according to the statement of claim, the art went to Cooper for her personal collection.
Other costs incurred include nearly $67,000 for travel expenses the gallery's board of directors claim they did not approve.
Other supposedly non-approved goods and services purchased unwittingly by the gallery for Cooper's benefit included more than $19,000 worth of massages, monthly parking, credit card fees, home maintenance and clothing purchases.
The total sum of false expense claims filed by the Art Gallery of Calgary against Cooper comes to $497,586.
The suit was launched on March 30, the day the gallery parted ways with Cooper.