BREAKING: Former Garden River employee charged with forging documents

A former employee of Garden River First Nation has been charged with forging a document in order to obtain a loan, according to public court records obtained by SooToday. 

Ontario Provincial Police allege that Anne Headrick of Garden River First Nation knowingly used a forged "letter of indemnity guaranteeing a loan" in addition to passing off "coinciding band council resolution documents" as genuine.

The incident allegedly took place in Sault Ste. Marie back in December 2021, while Headrick was employed as a housing manager with the First Nation.  

In April 2022, members of the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch Economic Crime and Corruption Unit began investigating allegations of fraud involving funds acquired in 2019 and in 2021 from a chartered bank through a Government of Canada mortgage program on behalf of the First Nation, according to a release issued by OPP Wednesday. 

Police have charged Headrick, 47, with Utter Forged Documents contrary to Section 368(1)(b) of the Criminal Code.

The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sault Ste. Marie on December 19, 2022.

The OPP said it will not comment further in order to protect the integrity of the court process.

Earlier this year, Garden River First Nation leadership announced it had hired an outside firm to investigate "financial transactions" in a number of departments amid allegations of employee misconduct. 

In a statement posted to its official social media account, chief and council said it "immediately took action to investigate the alleged misconduct and to prevent further wrongdoing" after an employee of the First Nation came forward. 

"The investigation was started after a GRFN employee took the courageous and responsible step of reporting what they believed to be misconduct by other employees," chief and council said in the release. 

Garden River First Nation did not disclose the subject of the investigation at the time. 

"However, we can tell you that the goal of the investigation is to improve GRFN's financial controls and ensure that GRFN's finances and programs are protected," said chief and council in the release. "Once the investigation is complete, chief and council will consult with its advisors and identify what information can safely be made public."

Headrick could not be immediately reached for comment. Garden River First Nation has yet to reply to a request for comment.