Laura Darlene Rapana jailed after stealing $47k from employer Mantra Hospitality Admin

A Gold Coast woman who stole a whopping sum from her employer hatched the scheme only months after being sacked from her previous role for similar offending.

Laura Rapana

A Gold Coast mum is now behind bars after ripping off more than $47,000 while working for a brand within hotel giant Accor Group.

Former Mantra Hospitality Admin employee Laura Darlene Rapana transferred dozens of payments to herself and unsuspecting family members between October 10, 2022 and February 2, 2023.

Southport Magistrates Court was told the 42-year-old stole $47,619 in total, also putting false information on invoices to make it appear they had been paid correctly.

Prosecutor Chelsea Thorn said Rapana’s scheme began just weeks after starting with the company and only a few months after she had been caught ripping off her previous employer.

Ms Thorn said Rapana took more than $6000 in her former role at Monash IVF, with the clinic tipped off by eight suspicious refunds processed in about two months.

Rapana was placed on probation for six months after pleading guilty in February last year to the Monash theft, with the court told she said she was in a “tough financial situation” at the time.

Ms Thorn said it was the sole entry on Rapana’s criminal history and that her offending had escalated.

“Those consequences – being the loss of that previous job and being charged with that offence – provided no deterrence in relation to committing these further offences,” she said.

Rapana was ordered by Acting Magistrate Gary Finger to sit in the dock during her sentencing due to the possibility she could be jailed, with several of her supporters watching anxiously from the courtroom gallery.

Defence lawyer Joanna McNae, of Ashkan Tai Lawyers, said her client had already saved $24,000 to reimburse her former employer and could soon repay the rest if able to continue working.

Ms McNae said Rapana was facing significant financial strain and feared becoming homeless, after losing previous employment and her rental home during Covid while also struggling with debts.

“She can only describe her actions as extreme desperation, facing the risk of homelessness (and) not wanting her children to go without or be homeless with her,” Ms McNae said.

“She’s extremely, extremely remorseful … (and) has made genuine efforts at rehabilitation.”

Mr Finger said Rapana’s conduct could not be tolerated, but accepted her remorse and that she was spoken of highly by her referees.

Rapana pleaded guilty to stealing by clerks and servants.

She was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ jail, to be suspended for three years after she had served six months. She was also ordered to pay full restitution, with the $24,000 already saved to be paid within seven days.