Massachusetts Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $232K From Hospital

Diane C. Thistle, 64, of Beverly, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to charges admitting she embezzled more than $232,000 from Beverly Hospital where she had been employed handling cash receipts from the hospital cafeteria. Authorities alleged that Thistle took cash and then covered the difference by using checks that had been prepared by the hospital to pay food services company, Sodexo, Inc. In her plea agreement, Thistle will spend between six months and one year in prison, plus supervised release. Thistle must also pay $232,262 in restitution. She was originally indicted last July after an audit conducted by Sodexo revealed the scheme. Thistle had been employed by the hospital for 14 years. Read the story here here, and here.

Former Exec Of Virginia-Based Non-Profit Professional Group Sentenced In $1.7 Million Embezzlement Scheme

Hugh Michael Robey, 48, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced to one year in prison for his role in an embezzlement scheme that bilked some $1.7 million out of the American Board of Opticianry and the National Contact Lens Examiners, where he had served as Executive Director. According to prosecutors, Robey used the non-profits funds to take trips and buy expensive items for his family and friends. He reportedly conspired with Carletta Carter Stewart, 45, of Fredericksburg, Maryland, the group's Chief Financial Officer and Legal Officer. Stewart is believed to have written about $1.1 million worth of checks and other association credits to herself. The schemes spanned a six year period from January 2004 to July 2010, in which they allegedly covered for eachother. Robey pleaded guilty to four counts of embezzlement. He was actually sentenced to four 10 year sentences with 9 years suspended on each count, to be served concurrently.

Read the story here, here and here.

Bookkeeper In North Carolina Arrested For Allegedly Embezzling $145K

Connie Lynn Reeves, 47, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, has been arrested for allegedly embezzling 145,247.62 from Access Medical Development, where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to authorities, Reeves' scheme spanned nearly two years from January 2007 through September 2008. The nature of the scheme has not been disclosed. She had been employed by the firm for nearly 6 years.

Read the story here.

California Bookkeeper Accused Of Embezzling $4.8 Million

Georgia Ann Engelhart, aka Ann Ray, 67, of Antioch, California has been accused in a civil lawsuit of embezzling some $4.8 million from Tanklages Construction where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to the civil complaint, Engelhart forged signatures, altered checks, made phony transfers and engaged in other schemes to embezzle funds from various Tanklages-related partnerships and companies. The embezzlement reportedly came to light after Englehart quit her job with the company in August 2009, submitting a resignation letter admitting to the thefts. The lawsuit claims that Engelhart's schemes spanned at least 30 years.

Developing...

Read the story here.

Update (7/20/11): Englehart, also known as Ann Ray, pleaded guilty to six counts of tax evasion in a plea agreement with prosecutors.  She faces up to 46 months in prison upon sentencing, scheduled for October 25, 2011.

Read an update of the story here.  Englehart reportedly used some of the ill-gotten gains to gamble at casinos and take expensive trips.

Update (10/27/11): Englehart, aka Ann Ray, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison.  She has also been ordered to pay $4.8 million in restitution, plus $1.3 million in back taxes on the ill-gotten gains.  According to media reports, Englehart, who worked for the Tanklage family for 34 years, began stealing in the 1980s.  However, by 2004, she was stealing hundreds of thousands per year.

Chicago Woman Charged With Bilking $290K From Non-Profit

Christina Madej, 58, of Chicago, Illinois, has been charged with embezzling nearly $290,000 from the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation, a non-profit that provides scholarships to area students, for which she had served as its director. According to authorities, Madej wrote checks to herself from foundation accounts. The foundation is affiliated with the Union League Club of Chicago. According to public records, Madej filed for personal bankruptcy in 2005, listing $85,000 in debts.

Read the story here, here and here.

Hat tip: Reader Joe.

Louisiana Accountant Charged With Embezzling $466K From Seafood Company

Edward Snyder, 54, of Houma, Louisiana, has been charged with embezzling more than $466,000 from Fishing Jim's Seafood in Raceland, where he had been employed as an accountant for 13 years. According to authorities, Snyder, pictured here, altered and cashed numerous checks from the company and has been charged with bank fraud, felony theft and 195 counts of monetary-instrument abuse. Snyder's step son, Jared Ferriss, 19, also of Houma, has also been charged in the scheme as a co-conspirator, with bank fraud, felony theft and 67 counts of monetary-instrument abuse. The investigation continues and authorities believe Snyder may have defrauded more from the company over "many years."

Read the story here and here.

Connecticut Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzling More Than $6 Million From Bank

Susan A. Curtis, 49, of Naugatuck, Connecticut, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges she embezzled some $6.2 million from Webster Bank and Bank of America, where she had been employed as a manager negotiating and managing bank property leases. According to authorities, Curtis and her now ex-husband, Kevin W. Caffrey, 45, of Wolcott, Connecticut, set up to companies, New House, LLC and Equity Realty, LLC, which then submitted fraudulent invoices for payment of fees in at least 109 real estate transactions she oversaw. The scheme reportedly spanned at least 6 years from May 2000 until May 2006. Specifically, Curtis plead guilty to two counts of bank fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns. Kevin Caffrey pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return and is awaiting sentencing. Curtis' current husband, Gary J. Stocking Jr., 43, of Naugatuck, was also indicted for his allegedly involvement in the scheme.

Read the story here, here, here and here.

Update (3/31/11): Gary Stocking, now 45, of Naugatuck, Connecticut, pleaded guilty to tax fraud for not reporting some $1.91 million in ill-gotten gains from his participation in this massive embezzlement scheme against Webster Bank. Stocking faces up to 3 years in prison and has been ordered to pay $640,000 in back taxes to the IRS.

Update (3/29/12): Curtis, now 50, has been sentenced to 102 months in prison.  Read an update of the story here.

Illinois Woman Charged With Embezzling $1.5 Million; Gambles It Away

Julie Nowaczyk, 50, of the Chicago, Illinois neighborhood of Ashburn, has been charged with embezzling some $1.5 million from ENR General Machining Co. where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to prosecutors, Nowaczyk's thefts spanned a four and a half year period, having been discovered last July only after the business owners hired a banker to look into why the company inexplicably was losing money. She allegedly issued herself more than 300 checks from the company which she logged as either vendor payments or petty cash, since 2006. The business was forced to make layoffs and was nearly placed into bankruptcy as a result of the embezzlement. Meanwhile, Nowaczyk was gambling the illicit proceeds away at high-end slot machines in nearby casinos in Indiana. She was confronted and has reportedly admitted to the scheme. Nowaczyk had been employed by the company for some 12 years.

Read the story here, here and here.

Hat tip: Reader Joe.

Warrant Issued For Colorado Bookkeeper Who Allegedly Embezzled $150K From Educational Charity

An arrest warrant has been issued by Boulder, Colorado police for Diana Lynn Lewis, 44, of Boulder, who allegedly embezzled more than $150,000 from the non-profit Impact on Education, where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to authorities, Lewis forged numerous checks from the charity that supports the Boulder Valley School District over a period of six years, between 2004 and 2010. According to reports, Lewis has a prior conviction for fraud, although details are not available.

Read the story here and here.

Update (1/23/11): Lewis was arrested yesterday by Boulder Police who suspect she embezzled nearly $160,000 from Impact on Education, a non-profit that helps support the Boulder Valley School District. She has been charged with several counts of forgery and one count of theft of more than $20,000.

Update (6/24/11): Lewis was sentenced to 6 years in jail for embezzling what is now understood to be $178,000 over a six year period. 

Former Municipal Bookkeeper In New York Charged With Embezzling More Than $350K

Pegeen Mulligan-Moore, 40, of Valatie, New York, has been charged with embezzling more than $350,000 from the towns of Kinderhook and Greenport, New York, where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. Last September, Mulligan-Moore was charged with 18 felonies and two misdemeanors, which includes two counts each of felony second- and third-degree grand larceny and one count of fourth-degree grand larceny; two counts of computer trespass; two counts of first-degree tampering with public records; eight counts of first-degree falsifying business records; and second-degree attempted forgery—all felonies—and misdemeanor counts of obstructing governmental administration and criminal possession of stolen property. Prosecutors allege that Mulligan-Moore's schemes spanned a three year period from December 2006 until the end of December 2009. She is alleged to have embezzled more than $287,000 from Kinderhook and approximately $53,000 from Greenport by depositing checks intended for the municipalities into her own accounts and paying her credit card bills online with municipal funds.

Read the story here and here.

Update (3/1/11): Mulligan-Moore pleaded gulity today to all charges.

Update (6/21/11): Mulligan-Moore has been sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison and ordered to pay $530,000 in restitution, fines and costs. 

Former CFO In South Carolina Agrees To Plea Deal In $3 Million Embezzlement Case

Jerry F. Wells, Jr. 47, of Columbia, South Carolina, reportedly made a plea agreement with prosecutors that he would serve 6 1/2 years in prison for embezzling nearly $3 million from publicly traded UCI Medical Affiliates, Inc. and another $40,000 from an unidentified company. According to reports, Wells was executive vice president and chief financial officer of UCI's Doctors Care medical clinics until December 2008, when the embezzlement scheme was discovered. An SEC complaint alleges that the thefts began in 2003 and continued until he was fired from the company. Prosecutors charged that Wells embezzled the $40,000 from a company while he was out on bail pending the UCI case. Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2011. The SEC enjoined Wells from practicing accounting.

Read the story here, here and here.

Read the SEC complaint here.

Update (3/3/11): Wells was formally sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay full restitution.

Michigan Man Accused Of Embezzling $400K In Company Inventory

Robert J. Schefke, 62, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, has been accused in a civil lawsuit of embezzling at least $400,000 worth in inventory from MacLean Maynard LLC where he had been employed as a tool engineer. According to the complaint, Schefke stole the auto parts and sold them to three scrap companies, Great Lakes Stock Corp., Macomb Scrap Metal Recycling Inc. and Mt. Clemens Metal Recycling Inc. all of which have also been named as defendants in the civil complaint filed by MacLean Maynard. Schefke pleaded guilty in 2009 in a plea arrangement to one count of embezzlement of between $50,000 and $100,000 and sentenced to five years probation with the first 90 days in count jail. He was also ordered to pay $414,042 in restitution.

Read the story here.

North Carolina Woman Charged With Embezzling More Than $100K

Kisha Deaton Sain, 32, of Maiden, North Carolina, has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from Carolina Comfort Systems, LLC where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. The alleged thefts occurred over a six year period between 2003 and 2009. Research suggests that Sain and her husband, Daniel Sain, are into the pageantry scene, apparently for their two young daughters.

Read the story here.

Nevada Woman Sentenced For Embezzling More Than $400K

Mary Anne Mattoon, believed to be in her late 40s, of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for embezzling at least $400,000 from NevDex Properties, where she had been employed as office manager. According to authorities, over a six year period between 2002 and 2008, Mattoon altered the company payroll to pay her additional salary - as much as $90,000 more in one year. Mattoon reportedly spent the stolen money on personal luxury items, shopping sprees, a horse trailer and a motorcycle business she started. Meanwhile she convinced company owners that they had to lay off workers due to the poor finances of the company. Separately, in 2008, the company won a civil judgment against Mattoon odering her to pay more than $1 million back to the company. Meanwhile, the court in the criminal case ordered Mattoon to pay $408,500 in restitution. The state filed criminal charges against her in July 2010.

Read the story here.

North Carolina Woman Charged With Embezzling Nearly $200K From Medical Office

Deborah Jean Holland, believed to be in her mid-40s, of Goldsboro, North Carolina was arrested today on charges she embezzled nearly $200,000 from the Goldsboro OB-GYN medical office where she had been employed as office manager. According to authorities, over more than 5 years, from March 2005 until October 2010, Holland made numerous fraudulent credit card and company check purchases for her own benefit.

Read the story here and here.

Former Ohio Bank Teller Sentenced In $888K Embezzlement Scheme

Rebecca Warden, 34, of Parma, Ohio, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for embezzling more than $888,000 from National City Bank branch in Strongsville where she had been employed as a bank teller. According to authorities, Warden took cash from her cash drawer and gave it to her husband, Steve Warden, 35, who then pretended to do legitimate business at the bank. The scheme spanned about 4 years, from 2006 through March 2010. Rebecca Warden was ordered to pay $888,471 in restitution after previously pleading guilty to bank fraud. Steve Warden recently pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges and is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

Read the story here and here.

Hat tip: Reader Joe.

Former Pennsylvania County Official Charged With Embezzling $347K

Vickie L. Glatfelter, 49, of Dover Township, Pennsylvania, has been charged with embezzling $347,477 from York County, Pennsylvania where she had served as assistant chief clerk. According to authorities, over a period of more than 7 years, from June 2003 to September 2010, Glatfelter committed 808 separate thefts of refunds for postage meter overcharges that she engineered, depositing the funds into her own accounts. Glatfelter had been employed by the county for some 27 years.

Read the story here and here.

Hat tip: FraudTalk Reader Joe.

Update (3/16/11): York County has reportedly recovered $247,477.23 from an insurance policy with Travelers Insurance, out of the $347,477.23 allegedly stolen by Glatfelter. The policy has a $100,000 deductible.

Update (6/2/11): Glatfelter pleaded guilty today and was sentenced to one to five years in prison.

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty To Charges He Embezzled $5 Million From University

Stephen C. Greb, 58, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to charges he embezzled some $5 million from La Salle University where he oversaw the institution's food services. According to authorities, Greb created a fictitious food vendor called Sunshine Foods and then authorized payments over a period of at least 20 years. The scheme was discovered after the university put in place a new and enhanced invoice control system.

Read the story here, here and here.

Southern California Woman Arrested For Allegedly Embezzling $100+K

Yvonne Jessica Mendoza, 35, of Beaumont, California, has been arrested on charges she embezzled at least $100,000 from Little Smiles Pediatric Dentistry in Yucaipa where she had been employed as a dental assistant. According to authorities, Mendoza changed the payroll system to increase her salary to $8,000 per month for about 1 year. She is also accused of stealing an additional $25,000 to pay personal bills. Initial reports suggest Mendoza embezzled about $121,000 between the two schemes.

Read the story here and here.

You can read Mendoza's resume here.

Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced In $431K Embezzlement Scheme

Serena Thomas-Erby, 53, of Pennsauken, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 30 months in prison for embezzling at least $431,181 from Global Associates, Ltd., where she had been employed as a budget analyst. Global Associates had a contract with the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Office which maintains inactive vessels at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and elsewhere. According to authorities, Thomas-Erby and a co-conspirator, Marian Murphy, 61, of Sewell, Pennsylvania, submitted bogus reimbursement requests over a 7 year period from 2000 until 2007. They were indicted in June 2010 on seven felony counts, including conspiracy, conversion of government funds, wire fraud and aiding & abetting. Thomas-Erby was ordered to pay restitution of $793,000.

Read the story here and here.

Read the original indictment here.

Marquet International Releases Annual Report On Embezzlement

Marquet International Ltd. announced today that it has released The 2010 Marquet Report On Embezzlement – its annual study of major embezzlement cases in the United States. The study examined 485 major embezzlement cases active in the US in 2010 – those with more than $100,000 in reported losses. The 2010 Marquet Report On Embezzlement examined several broad categories related to the white collar fraud phenomenon of employee theft:

• Characteristics of the Schemes
• Characteristics of the Perpetrators
• Characteristics of the Victim Organizations
• Judicial Consequences

Some noteworthy findings from the 2010 study include:

• The average loss was nearly $1 million
• The most common embezzlement scheme involved the forgery or unauthorized issuance of company checks
• Two-thirds of the incidents were committed by employees who held finance & accounting positions
• The average scheme lasted more than 4½ years
• The average prison sentence for major embezzlers was just under 4 years
• Nearly 2/3 of all incidents involved female perpetratorsNearly 20 percent of all losses were inflicted upon financial institutions

“Sadly, 2010 was a banner year for employee theft in the United States,” said Christopher T. Marquet, CEO of Marquet International. “It is staggering how much money was stolen from companies last year by their employees, spanning many years in some cases before getting caught,” he said.

The study also reported some conclusions Marquet derived by combining the data from past three years’ reports:

• Women are more likely to embezzle on a large scale than men.
• Men embezzle significantly more than women per scheme.
• Perpetrators typically begin their embezzlement schemes in their early 40s.
• By a significant margin, embezzlers are most likely to be individuals who hold financial positions within organizations.
• The Financial Services industry suffers the greatest losses from major embezzlements.
• Gambling is a clear motivating factor in driving some major embezzlement cases.
• Only about 5 percent of major embezzlers have a prior criminal history.

“Rather than stealing because they have severe financial problems, we found that most major embezzlers appear to be driven by greed or a need to live a lifestyle much more lavish than they could not otherwise achieve,” said Marquet. He added, “While the bad economy may have had something to do with the large number of cases we identified, there are other drivers motivating these white collar criminals and there is always an ambient level of fraud, theft, waste and abuse in any organization.”

A copy of The 2010 Marquet Report On Embezzlement can be obtained by calling (917) 733-1038 or e-mailing a request to info@marquetinternational.com. Marquet International also publishes a white collar crime blog at http://fraudtalk.blogspot.com/ which chronicles a variety of active white collar crime cases including major embezzlements.

About Marquet international Ltd.
Marquet International is a boutique business investigations, due diligence, litigation support and security consulting firm, based in Boston. Marquet International focuses on providing clients with strategic intelligence to make sound business decisions. Led by long-time industry expert, Christopher T. Marquet, the firm provides Corporate Intelligence & Due Diligence services in corporate transactions and to vet key personnel. It also provides Litigation Support and Corporate Investigation services on behalf of general counsel and law firms representing clients in matters involving fraud and employee misconduct, intellectual property disputes, hostile takeovers, asset recovery, electronic evidence and forensic accounting. The firm also provides a wide range of security consulting services.

For more information about the firm, go to http://www.marquetinternational.com/.

Update: The 2010 Marquet Report On Embezzlement can be found here.

Former Law Firm Office Manager In California Charged With Embezzling More Than $480K

Donna Joy Henderson, 67, of Orange, California, has been charged with embezzling more than $480,000 from the law firm of Rinos & Martin, LLP, where she had been employed as office manager with bookkeeping responsibilities. According to authorities, Henderson wrote at least 122 law firm checks payable to herself, cash, personal credit cards, relatives or fictitious businesses and depositing them into her personal bank accounts. The scheme spanned more than 6 1/2 years from January 2003 and September 2009. Henderson has been charged with 14 felony counts of falsifying records and one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement. The scheme was discovered when a new accountant was hired and noticed checks that had been voided were written out to Henderson. She faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted. According to authorities, Henderson is believed to have spent the stolen money to support a lavish lifestyle, including timeshare properties, cruises, home shopping network jewelry and collectibles, home improvements, indoor sauna, pampered pet day spas visits, and gambling. She was arrested January 5th following an investigation by the Tustin Police Department.

Read the story here and here.

Read the Orange County D.A.'s announcement here.

Update (5/24/11): Henderson, now 68, pleaded guilty yesterday to embezzling what is now believed to be $502,000 and was sentenced to four years in state prison. She was also ordered to pay full restitution of that amount.

Oklahoma Woman Charged With Embezzling $1.4 Million

Tonya Lynn Seiger, 45, of Enid, Oklahoma, has been charged with embezzling some $1.4 million from Gillilland Oil and Gas Company where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to authorities, Seiger would issue company checks to herself or her husband's company, R and T Pump and Supply. Seiger's scheme spanned a 2 year period. She is reported to have spent the money on a gambling habit. According to reports, Seiger also stole from R and T Pump as well as from her son.

Read the story here & here.

Update: Seiger pleaded gulity to 51 counts of embezzlement and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.  She was also ordered to pay about $1.2 million in restitution.

Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzling Nearly $100K From Municipality

Arnita M. Mitchell, 44, of Mason, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to charges she embezzled $96,000 from the town of Mason, Tennessee where she had served as City Court Clerk in charge of cash collections, among other things. According to authorities, Mitchell pocketed cash receipts over a period of some 30 months. Mitchell, who was originally indicted in November 2009 on felony theft, forgery, computer fraud, theft of services, and official misconduct, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered to pay full restitution. She will also be placed on probation for 8 years after her prison sentence.

Read the story here, here and here.

Read the indictment here.

Maryland Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $104K

Lucy Lynn Bradburn, 43, of Ridge, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud charges in connection with her embezzlement of $104,926 from IAP World Services, Inc., where she was employed as a senior accountant and supply administrator in charge of vendor payments. According to authorities, over a 7 year period from November 2002 until December 2009, Bradburn submitted 44 bogus requests for purported vendor payments to Sears. These payments actually went to Bradburn's own personal Sears account. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Read the story here and here.

Read the DOJ announcement here.

Hat tip: Reader Joe.

Former Illinois Controller Charged With Embezzling $882K

John McCall, 70, of Wayne, Illinois, has been charged with embezzling some $882,000 from the Center for Pain Control, where he had been employed as company controller and debt collector. According to authorities, McCall was entitled to a 30 percent commission on any debts he collected. Instead, he took 30 percent of all revenues. McCall is now reportedly in poor health, suffering from "a debilitating form of dementia." His scheme reportedly spanned a number of years from sometime after he was hired in 2001 until December 2007.  Specifically, McCall was charged with eight counts of theft, two counts of money laundering and one count of wire fraud

Read the story here and here.

Former Controller In Michigan For Several Family Businesses Accused Of Embezzling Hundreds Of Thousands

According to a civil lawsuit filed by Nationwide Envelope Specialists and several other related family businesses in Oakland County Circuit Court in Michigan, Mark David Weisberg, 48, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars while employed as its financial controller. The exact amount has not yet been determined. According to the civil complaint, Weisberg wrote checks and electronically transferred funds to himself or GEF Representatives and Consultants, LLC, a company he created and controlled, over a period of a year and a quarter from the beginning of 2009 until March 2010.

Update (10/6/12): Weisberg was found guilty on embezzlement charges and is scheduled to be sentened on November 2, 2012.

Update (12/13/12): Weisberg was sentenced to one year in the Oakland County Jail and ordered to pay restitution.

Maryland Man Sentenced For Embezzling $1.7 Million

Dwayne Wells, 50, of Potomac, Maryland, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for embezzling more than $1.7 million from Ryco Associates, a local mechanical engineering company he partly owned. According to authorities, Wells and two other partners bought the firm in 2006 which lent money to a restaurant. Wells and one of his partners reportedly kept the loan repayments for themselves, rather than the company where the funds originated. Wells was also alleged to have racked up more than $250,000 in improper expenses and authorized more than $440,000 in checks payable to himself.  His partner has already pleaded guilty to his involvement in the scheme and was sentenced to probation with three months home confinement. Wells is also a part owner of the Baltimore Mariners indoor football team.

Read the story here, here and here.

Tennessee Woman Sentenced In $318K Embezzlement Case

Carin L. Shipp, 37, of Southaven, Tennessee, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for embezzling $318,000 from Creative Co-Op, a local design firm where she had served as payroll manager. According to authorities, Shipp executed more than 300 fraudulent wire transfers from company payroll accounts to her own during 2008. Shipp was also ordered to pay $285,0000 in restitution. Shipp reportedly was previously accused of embezzlement but settled the case with restitution only.

Read the story here.

Upstate New York Medical Worker Pleads Not Guilty To $100K Embezzlement Scheme

Mary Harvey, 61, of Saranac Lake, New York, pleaded not guilty to charges she embezzled at least $100,000 from North Country Family Physicians where she had been employed. Harvey allegedly altered the medical practice's books to cover up her alleged thefts. The scheme reportedly spanned at least four hears from 2005 through 2009.

Read the story here and here.

Update (12/20/11): Harvey entered an Alford plea to a felony charge of first-degree falsifying business records, admitting she embezzled at least $100,000 from North Country Family Physicians.  Media reports indicate that the medical practice sued Harvey in civil court to recover what it claims to be $305,000 embezzled over a period of 10 years.  Harvey's scheme involved the misappropriation of cash receipts which she converted for her own benefit.  She has been ordered to turn over a retirement account valued at $183,000.  Harvey had been employed by the medical practice for nearly 30 years.

Update (3/13/12): Harvey, now 63, has been sentenced to 1 day in prison and ordered to pay $186,000 in restitution. 

2010 Big Year For Embezzlement Cases In Michigan Region

According to a report in the Daily Press, there were six embezzlement convictions in Delta and Menominee Counties, Michigan in 2010 with reported losses of at least $400,000. A seventh case with reportedly losses of more than $800,000 did not go to trial due to the death of the defendant.

Those cases included the following:

• Janet Lynn Hoier, of Escanaba, 38, embezzled nearly $13,000 from the Escanaba Walmart
• Janet Ann Bussineau, 56, of Gladstone, embezzled nearly $24,000 from a local non-profit
• Amanda Jean Porath, 37, of Escanaba, embezzled at least $30,000 from Creative Composites
• Margaret Frances Jorasz, 51, of Wilson, embezzled more than $300,000 from Harris Township
• Debra Kathleen Golzynski, 35, Gladstone, embezzled as much as $20,000 from a fund raiser
• Debra Niemela, 56, of Rock, embezzled at least $2,000 from a neighbor she was caring for
• An unnamed woman was being investigated for embezzling at least $800,000 from the Big Bay de Noc School, but she died prior to the case being adjudicated

Read the whole story here.

Note: all women. Our latest Report on Embezzlement, due to come out in the next week, shows a continuation of this trend.

Former Colorado School District Athletics Director Ordered To Pay Restitution In $190K Embezzlement Case

Steven "Steve" Patrick Atwood, 41, of Adams County, Colorado, was ordered to pay restitution of $91,000 in addition to the $13,000 already paid back to the Adams 12 School District where he had been employed as athletic director. Atwood, who was originally arrested in December 2009, pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges last August. He received a 90 day work-release sentence and 7 years of probation. According to reports, Atwood stole at least $190,000 from the school district. Atwood was described as a "once a local hero and legend" in sports who returned to his school to coach and become athletic director.

Read the story here, here, here and here.

Former Bank Employee In Hawaii Sentenced For Embezzling $183K

Marylin P. DeMotta, 43, formerly of Hawaii, and currently of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 4 months in prison for misappropriating $183,000 from the Hawaii Kai branch of American Savings Bank where she had been employed as a supervisor. DeMotta, who was originally indicted in December 2007, pleaded guilty last April to cashing two cashier's checks meant to pay a bank client's capital gains taxes, for her own benefit back in 2004. She is alleged to have stolen at least $304,000 from customer accounts over at least two years between 2004 and 2006.

Read the story here, here, here and here.

Michigan Man Charged With Embezzling $100K

Walter Jesse Reynolds, 27, of Bay City, Michigan, has been charged with embezzling at least $100,000 from Wysong Corporation, a natural pet food producer, where he had been employed. According to authorities, who have not released many details, Reynolds' scheme was "complicated." He was charged with three counts of embezzlement of between $1,000 and $20,000.

Developing...

Read the story here.

Update (2/18/11): Reynolds is now accused of embezzling $120,022.99 from Wysong Corp. beginning April 2010. Additional details have not been released.

Still developing...

Former Georgia Church Pastor Indicted for Embezzling $200K

Kenneth Terrell, 46, of Bloomingdale, Georgia, was indicted on charges he embezzled at least $200,000 from the New Harvest International Ministries Church where he had served as pastor. According to the indictment, Terrell skimmed "hundreds of thousands" of dollars from church coffers to support a "lavish" lifestyle over at least a four year period. In the indictment, Terrell was charged with 7 counts of wire fraud for which he faces up to 20 years in prison. He has separately been charged with child molestation and sexual battery against a minor, according to reports. Apparently Terrell has a long criminal history that includes prior child molestation charges and multiple DUIs, burglary, forgery, criminal trespass, obstruction, disorderly conduct and drug charges.

Read the story here and here.

Watch the video here.

Update (5/5/11): Terrell pleaded gulty yesterday to one count of wire fraud in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Update (1/24/12): Terrell has been sentenced to 115 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $$381,449.55 in restitution. 

Connecticut Woman Sentenced in $200K Payroll Embezzlement Scheme

Lisa E. Bloomer, 50, of Plainfield, Connecticut, was sentenced to 2 years in prison for bilking the state out of some $207,000 in compensation, where she had been employed with the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services. According to authorities, Bloomer forged payroll hours for time she was actually gambling at casinos. Bloomer's scheme spanned a three year period between 2005 and 2007. Bloomer pleaded no contest to the charge of first-degree larceny. Bloomer's gambling addiction was reportedly ignited by her boss, Alisa M. Bobinski, 55, of Colchester, Connecticut, who brought her to the casinos to gamble regularly. Bobinski has also been arrested and is awaiting trial.

Read the story here, here, here and here.

Former Goodwill Exec Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $1 Million

Ronald E. Partee, 45, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges he embezzled more than $1 million from MERS/Goodwill Industries, where he had served as an assistant vice president in the human resources department, but with fiduciary duties as well. According to authorities, Partee wrote checks to several bogus businesses and accounts to which he was the sole benefactor. The scheme reportedly began in January 2007 and spanned 3 1/2 years until July 2010 when it was uncovered and he was fired. Partee purchased a Porsche automobile and other luxury items with the stolen money. He also accepted tuition reimbursements for law school which he never attended. Partee plead guilty to one felony count of embezzlement and one felony count of money laundering.

Read the story here, here and here.

Update (5/25/11): Partee was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Read here.