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A Chubb security guard says she stole $55,000 in cash from a client bank to feed her gambling addiction.
Emma Havea, 28, pleaded guilty to stealing the KiwiBank cash over five months while shifting money boxes in armoured cars.
She is the second Chubb guard to be charged with theft after an internal investigation.
Hamish Edward Wilson faces charges of stealing $780 from ASB Bank in August and possession of cannabis, and will appear in court this month when more charges are expected to be laid. The duo were charged after Chubb was tipped off and hired private investigators, who told police of their findings, said police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty.
Two other female security guards suspected of being involved are on the run from police and the Herald on Sunday understands the total sum of money taken was between $150,000 and $200,000.
Havea pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court to taking the money over five months while alone in the back of the Chubb trucks.
The married mother would take anywhere from $300 to $1000 up to three times a week, either before or after emptying the cash boxes from KiwiBank ATMs.
She confessed the theft to her Chubb bosses - where she had worked for 18 months - after learning about the internal investigation, and also admitted to a gambling problem.
The 28-year-old was then charged with stealing $55,900 in August, and admitted the allegations in September. She had not appeared in court before. She faces a maximum of seven years in prison when she is sentenced next month.
Daniel Marks, the Australian spokesman for Chubb New Zealand, confirmed in a written statement that an internal investigation found several employees were suspected of engaging in criminal activity and were referred to police.
When asked what background checks were made before people were hired, Marks said Chubb's practices complied with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
"Our hiring and training regime has been proven over a period of more than eight years and three million collections or deliveries, to be of the highest standard.
"That the behaviour of some individuals was found to be unacceptable is no reflection on the 1300 other Chubb staff in New Zealand dedicated to the security and protection of our clients."
Earlier this year, 12 Chubb security guards were sacked and the company was investigated by the Immigration Department after it took on people as bank and Customs guards without work permits.
