A company related to B.C.'s largest private company is alleging that a head cashier at a grocery store in Courtney "fraudulently misappropriated" $216,392.93 and then disguised the illegal activity by "intentionally and fraudulently altering" the company's accounting and banking records.
B.C.-based Jim Pattison Ltd. (JPL), which is related to the Jim Pattison Group, alleged in a Sept. 17 notice of civil claim filed in BC Supreme Court that Linda Elizabeth Nissen committed the alleged "theft" at its Quality Foods store in Courtenay between 2019 and 2022, when her employment was terminated.
(Multiple people have contacted BIV to say that the alleged incident happened at a different store than the one in Courtney but the lawsuit alleged that the store was in Courtenay.)
None of the allegations has been proven in court and no response to the notice of civil claim has yet been filed. BIV could not find a phone number for Nissen, who is also known as Linda Elizabeth Nissen-Breurkens, but sent her a direct message on Pinterest that not yield an immediate response.
JPL alleges that the misappropriated funds came from "bank deposits, cash and lottery tickets." It also claims in its lawsuit that Nissen used the money to buy property in Comox and that this property is registered in her name. The JPL said that it is continuing to investigate and trace where the money went.
In addition to the alleged lost funds, the JPL claims that it has incurred expenses investigating the "theft and fraud."
The JPL is seeking $216,392.93 plus general, special, punitive and exemplary damages. It also wants tracing remedies to help determine where funds went and an order prohibiting Nissen from disposing or moving the funds or any of her assets, plus a garnishing order.
