A longtime City of Surrey employee has been charged after investigators alleged she created fraudulent financial files and unauthorized cheques over several years, resulting in an estimated loss of $2.5 million. Prosecutors have approved multiple charges, including fraud, theft and forgery.
A Surrey municipal employee is facing several criminal charges following an investigation into what police describe as a significant fraud against the City of Surrey. The city’s economic crimes unit began reviewing the matter early in 2024 after financial irregularities were reported within its systems.
According to Surrey RCMP, the employee allegedly accessed municipal financial systems and generated fraudulent documents and cheque authorizations connected to her official duties over a lengthy period. Police estimate the losses to the city at approximately two and a half million dollars.
Prosecutors have approved charges against Sunny Catlin, 40, including fraud over five thousand dollars, theft over five thousand dollars, breach of trust and forgery. Investigators allege she issued and deposited cheques without authority for her own benefit, and created falsified deposit release authorization packages that appeared genuine.
Catlin had worked for the city for nearly twenty years before being dismissed in early 2024 after admitting she had forged a signature on a stale-dated cheque replacement. A subsequent search found two suspicious cheques, which investigators say led to the discovery of additional irregular transactions linked to her business, former name and a family member.
Her first court appearance is scheduled for December 2. City officials issued a statement acknowledging the work of the investigative team and emphasizing Surrey’s commitment to transparency and integrity within municipal operations.
