A Golden Knights founding partner reported feeling profoundly betrayed by his former girlfriend in a statement filed in her criminal case.
Jennifer Courtemanche previously faced theft and money laundering charges in connection with the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from Gavin Maloof.
She and co-defendant Brittany Burgess each pleaded guilty in June to a gross misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit theft, court records show.
“Jennifer was not a stranger,” wrote Maloof in the statement filed Monday. “She was my longtime girlfriend. She traveled with me, spent time with my family, and attended my mother’s wedding. I trusted her completely and welcomed her into every aspect of my life. While standing beside me as my partner, she was secretly stealing from me and orchestrating an elaborate scheme to deceive me. That level of betrayal has changed how I view trust and relationships.”
Courtemanche’s attorney Rachael Stewart declined to comment Friday.
Burgess purported to be a talent agent for Courtemanche, a model and actress who appeared in the TV series “You’re the Worst,” “Days of Our Lives” and “Anger Management,” according to the Internet Movie Database.
As part of her plea, Courtemanche agreed to pay Maloof nearly $445,000. Burgess agreed to pay him almost $12,000.
If the defendants make full restitution, they could have their cases dismissed, according to their plea agreements. Prosecutors agreed not to oppose probation for either woman.
“My priority was to give the victim the strongest possible opportunity to recover the money that was taken from him,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Austin Beaumont previously said.
Maloof said the investigation revealed that Courtemanche was also behind harassing text messages and photographs sent to him via Voice over Internet Protocol numbers.
And she discussed her plans with Burgess in text messages, he said.
“He broke up with his girlfriend,” Maloof said Courtemanche wrote in one message. “I’m going to him. We finally made it. No more cheap hotels, hospitals, etc.”
Maloof wrote that the crime involved deception, manipulation, emotional abuse and an abuse of trust.
“The financial loss has been significant, but the emotional damage has been even greater,” he wrote. “Jennifer’s actions destroyed my sense of security and trust.”
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
