Course Description

This case study examines the largest agricultural heist in Canadian history—the theft of approximately 9,571 barrels of maple syrup valued at nearly $20 million CAD from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ) strategic reserve between August 2011 and July 2012. Through analysis of how perpetrators exploited minimal physical security, inadequate inventory monitoring, and insider access to execute and conceal the theft, accounting professionals will learn to identify internal control weaknesses, recognize insider threat indicators, and understand how the fraud risk triangle elements of opportunity and rationalization combine to enable large-scale asset misappropriation schemes.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing the course, the participant will be able to:

  1. Identify internal control weaknesses that enabled the maple syrup heist, including lack of physical security measures and inadequate inventory monitoring procedures.
  2. Analyze how insider access and collusion were exploited to facilitate the fraud scheme, applying the opportunity component of the fraud risk triangle.
  3. Evaluate the rationalization techniques used by perpetrators to justify fraudulent conduct, including perceived organizational injustice as motivation for theft.

Instructors

Garth Sheriff, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois), CIA, CGMA, MAcc, is the founder of Sheriff Consulting. Sheriff Consulting provides continuing professional experience (CPE) courses in leadership, communication, and assurance. Garth has worked as an assurance professional and learning provider for over 20 years. Garth has also acted in various stage and film productions. He is a graduate in improvisation from The Second City and a member of ACTRA (the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists).

Josh Sager is a comedian and a natural storyteller, bringing a unique perspective to complex fraud cases, helping to make intricate financial crimes accessible and educational for professional audiences.

Course Information

Course Title: Professional Ethics: Liquid Gold

Estimated Total CPE: 1.0

Field(s) of Study: Behavioral Ethics

Delivery Method: QAS Self-Study

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites/Advanced Preparation: None

Enrollment Period/Expiration Date: One year from date of purchase

Date of Last Program Review/Update: 1/5/2026

Refund Policy/Complaint Resolution Policy: Our policies can be found in our FAQ

Assessment Requirements:

To earn CPE credit, participants must successfully complete the qualified assessment with the following minimum passing grades:

Self-Study (0.5 CPE or higher): 70% cumulative passing grade

Nano Learning (0.2 CPE): 100% passing grade

Participants who do not achieve the required passing grade may retake the assessment in accordance with sponsor policy.


Course curriculum

    1. Instructions for QAS Self Study

    2. Course Overview

    1. The Cartel

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Review Question 1

    1. Logistics

    2. Review Question 2

    1. The Low Margin Heist

    2. Review Question 3

    1. Final Exam: Liquid Gold

About this course

  • $75.00
  • 9 lessons
  • 0.5 hours of video content

Ready to get started?

Enroll today