Raymond Chow is alleged to have bought more than 2,500 items since 2020 and up until his firing two weeks ago, according to the lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court
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A recently fired Telus manager is facing a lawsuit for more than $1 million in damages after allegations he used company credit cards for a buying spree that include whiskey glasses, massage guns and e-scooters.
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Raymond Chow is alleged to have bought more than 2,500 items since 2020 and up until his firing two weeks ago, according to the lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court.
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He then set up an Amazon storefront and sold some of the items online, it said.
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The total amount of “misappropriated funds” was $1,093,283.50, according to the lawsuit.
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He used the company credit cards, or had the employees he supervised use the cards, to purchase the items, as well as home theatre equipment and seating, turntables and audio equipment, cameras, consumer electronics, gaming equipment, a refrigerator and a dishwasher, wearable technology and Blu-media, it said.
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“In many instances, Mr. Chow and his subordinates acting at his direction, purchased multiple quantities” of the same items, it said.
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He was fired “after it was discovered that Mr. Chow had engaged in a fraudulent scheme over many years,” according to the lawsuit.
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He had the authority to approve expense claims and he approved those claims himself, Telus alleges.
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It said he had the merchandise delivered to and stored at his home on the West Side of Vancouver “and/or other residences and then sold them on online marketplaces, including an Amazon storefront he owned and ran.
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“Mr. Chow retained the proceeds generated from the sale of those goods for his own benefit,” the lawsuit alleges.
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He used that money to maintain and improve the house he co-owns with his wife and to pay down its mortgage, it says.
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The company’s investigation found that he used a shared Amazon business account linked to a Telus corporate credit card assigned to one of the employees who reported to him.
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It also discovered internal records, including documents called “ordering masterpiece” and “Raymond receipts needed,” which tracked the purchases and included receipts for them.
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Telus said in the lawsuit it has the right to trace the funds into all property he bought with them, including his house, and plans to go after the property for damages.
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The company is seeking undetermined “special, aggravated, exemplary and punitive damages” beyond the value of the items he bought, it says.
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Telus said Chow breached his employment contract, its policies and procedures and the fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty to the company.
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He is liable for the fraud, deceit and conversion, it said.
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Chow was first hired in March 2015 and his most recent position was of the director of technical products and services, consumer solutions, the lawsuit says.
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None of the allegations have been tested in court.
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