A woman from Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced on Friday, June 5, for embezzling more than $100,000 from her employer to cover her gambling debts.
Identified as K. L. H., the 55-year-old woman was employed as the treasurer for a manufacturer of brake products in the city.
Company Treasurer Busted, Sentenced for Embezzling Six-Figures from Employer
It was proven that she used her position within the company to access its financial records and accounts and siphon off enough money to cover her gambling debts.
The embezzlement was masked in various ways, including by the creation of a fake payroll account for H.’s husband, who was not involved in the scheme and was not privy to her actions.
The woman also issued herself unauthorized payments, and well above her salary. H. was pushed into this act of desperation, citing mounting gambling debt incurred because of online gambling, but also because of a proclivity to shop excessively.
H. used different strategies, including intercepting vendor payments and then sending them to her personal accounts while reflecting in the company documentation that the payments had arrived.
The woman’s actions were eventually uncovered in August 2023, at which point she had diverted $123,104.42 from her employer. She received a year-and-six-month sentence on Friday.