Christina Michelle Bratcher, 43, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been accused of embezzling more than $460,000 from
Colorado Welding Supply where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to authorities, Bratcher forged more than 200 checks over a four year period, for her own benefit. As a result of the losses, the company reportedly had to file for bankruptcy in August 2010. The scheme unravelled after the IRS notified the business' owner, Eric Younger, that he had not paid his taxes. An investigation ensued which revealed the fraud. Bratcher is reportedly the daughter of a close friend of Younger and was a trusted employee.
Read the story
here,
here and
here.
Update (5/11/12): Bratcher has pleaded guilty to felony theft and forgery charges.
Update (7/27/12): Bratcher, now 44, has been sentenced to 18 months in a jail work-release program and 12 years of intensive probation. She has also been ordered to pay at least $594,298 in restitution which represents the amount she stole plus interest. Bratcher may also be ordered to pay an additional $30,000 in losses identified during the adjudication of her case.
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