MONTEGO BAY, St James — A woman accused of siphoning more than $1 million from her boss is now at the centre of a court case.

Shantae Eccleston appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to larceny as a servant and conspiracy to defraud. Presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce is handling the matter.

The drama began on June 11 when the business owner received a phone call that someone had reportedly spent more than $1 million at her establishment. But something didn’t add up. A quick review of the company’s financial records showed no such transaction in recent days.

Suspecting foul play, the complainant said she reviewed surveillance footage from June 2 and was stunned by what she saw — a customer handing over a large bundle of cash directly to Eccleston.

After further probing, it was revealed that the customer had spent $1,244,000, but the funds were nowhere to be found in the company’s records.

The matter was reported to police and Eccleston was later arrested and charged.

In court Wednesday, Eccleston stood without legal representation. Judge Grant-Pryce asked whether she would be retaining an attorney, to which she replied ‘yes’.

“Make sure your attorney is here on the next occasion,” the judge warned. “These are serious matters, and you could be imprisoned for up to three years.” Case management is set for July 28, and Eccleston’s bail has been extended until then.