Courtney Wells, a 49-year-old woman in Connecticut admitted to embezzling over a half a million dollars combined from her two positions as a trusted bookkeeper. Appearing as a trustworthy employee at her job as treasurer of the Southington Lacrosse Association, she gained exclusive access to the company’s debit cards and the bank account. Authorities believe she had stolen approximately $100,000 from this position to fund personal needs such as concerts, traveling, or shopping.
In addition, Wells also led police to believe she stole over $375,000 from Jones Engineering at her second job as a part-time bookkeeper. She used some of this money to partially refund what she had stolen from The Lacrosse Association. Wells surrendered herself to authorities on a pair of warrants, according to Southington, CT police. Her warrants included first-degree larceny, second-degree money laundering, and first-degree forgery. Although these situations can be an employer’s worst nightmare, there are steps you can take to evade such extreme events.
Preventative steps you can take:
- Monitor your company books on a regular basis
- Sign up for bank and credit card alerts when purchases are made
- Background all employees and independent contractors
- eVerify all new employees to ensure their right to work in the United States
- If you become a victim, prosecute the employee
A criminal background screening can provide thorough reviews of a potential hire’s criminal history. Taking these precautions can steer you clear of extreme cases that may jeopardize your company’s future.
eVerify can help your company mitigate the risks of becoming a victim of employee thefts.
Article source: https://fox61.com/2019/01/10/woman-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-from-youth-sports-group/
Additional information on the charges pulled from https://patch.com/connecticut/southington/woman-accused-embezzling-youth-lacrosse-group-southington