PASCO, Wash.- An investigation dating back to January 2022 shows a Pasco bookkeeper for a far had taken $522,323 from the boss.
The victim first reported the fraud after a stack of checks were returned to him with a signature that did not match his. The owner of the farm accused his bookkeeper of signing checks to her husband with the last name.
The suspect’s husband was previous client of the farm but had only done one job for the farm and had no reason to be paid again. Detectives verified the signatures on the checks were different than the victims and the owner of the farm reiterated the bookkeeper had no power to make payments in his name and there was no debt owed to either party.
An interview with the bookkeeper confirmed she was intentionally writing the checks and stated she was doing so to help her husband’s struggling business.
The suspect had hoped to admit to the owner one day and aimed to pay back the money owed “until I die.” The husband who the checks were written out to did not know of the scheme.
Checks collected in the investigation date back to 2017 total to 95 checks worth $522,323.
Probable cause was established from the investigation and confession for forgery and criminal impersonation.
