A Toronto bookkeeper believed to be out of the country is wanted on charges after a dozen child-care centres were allegedly defrauded of at least $400,000.

Toronto police believe David Reiner, 59, is in Nairobi, Kenya.

Missing funds were allegedly discovered at the 12 centres, and that number is expected to rise as other child-care facilities check their accounts.

On Reiner's website, which chronicles his employment experience, he lists more than 40 child-care clients, calling it "a bit of a specialty with me."
       
Police have asked each centre to double check that all their payments are in order.

"They are going to have to go back to the beginning of the year and do each item individually," said Det. Garry Hickey of the Toronto police fraud squad. "It's a bit time consuming and costly for the day-care centres to do that as well."

Bookkeeping discrepancies were first noticed in September when several child-care centres checked their books after Reiner resigned without notice.

The amount of money missing from individual centres ranges from $5,000 to $145,000.

Hickey told CBC the child-care centres were shocked by the allegations because Reiner has been a long-time employee who never gave them any problems.

Reiner's website says he has worked as a self-employed bookkeeper for child-care centres in the Toronto area for the past 15 years.

Toronto police said Reiner faces charges of fraud in connection with the following:

  • Plains Road Child Care Centre
  • John Wanless Child Care
  • McMurrich Sprouts Day Care
  • Northlea Childcare Centre
  • Childspace Daycare
  • Pape Children's House
  • McKee McKids Enrichment Centre
  • St. Bedes Child Care Centre
  • Gan Yeladim Day Care Centre
  • Ranchdale Rompers Day Care
  • Cardinal Leger Child Care Centre
  • Isabella Walton Childcare Centre