Court Appearance Marks Start of Legal Proceedings
On December 2 2025 a former finance clerk for the City of Surrey appeared in court for the first time in connection with alleged large scale fraud.
The accused, Sunny Catlin, is facing multiple serious charges including fraud or breach of trust, theft, forgery, and defrauding the city of money exceeding $5,000.
What She Is Alleged to Have Done
Court documents state that between 2017 and 2024 Catlin issued 185 cheques from city accounts to herself, a business she owned, and a family member. The total amount allegedly diverted is approximately $2.54 million.
Investigators say she exploited dormant “development-deposit” accounts, changed payee names in city records, and used a unique user ID tied to her to approve the transactions.
A forged signature on an old authorization form triggered internal scrutiny in early 2024. That irregularity revealed the scheme after accounting staff compared the number of authorized cheques with those processed that week.
Municipal Response and Civil Action
After the discovery, the city launched an internal audit and referred the case to the RCMP Economic Crimes Unit.
Simultaneously the City of Surrey filed a civil claim in the B.C. Supreme Court seeking to recover the funds lost. The claim covers the allegedly diverted $2.5 million plus costs and interest.
City officials have affirmed their commitment to transparency and pledged reforms to financial controls to prevent such abuses in future.
What Comes Next
Catlin is scheduled to appear in court again on January 6 2026 as legal proceedings continue.
The case is likely to prompt scrutiny of internal municipal accounting practices and may influence how other municipalities handle dormant accounts and oversight protocols.
Why This Case Matters for Residents
The alleged fraud if proven represents a significant breach of trust and misuse of public funds. Residents and taxpayers may demand accountability and lasting safeguards against such exploitation.
The outcome will also send a message about how seriously financial misconduct within public institutions is treated.
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