Through an internal investigation, they told police the employee — a Middletown woman — had charged a total $15,179 to a company Visa card. The purchase of school supplies and an “employee recognition dinner” that other employees claimed to have never attended were among the charged expenses.
The tip-off was the purchase of a gift card to Bick’s Driving School earlier this year. According to Greg McTaggart, president of the company, the gift card was worth approximately $600.
“There were just a wide variety of expense that were not company-related,” McTaggart said.
The employee has been fired from her position. She is not being identified as she has not been arrested in connection with the theft. The counseling agency, however, is pursuing charges.
Lt. Scott Reeve of the Middletown police said an arrest is likely in the near future.
McTaggart said the employee has admitted to stealing from the company, and expressed regret through text messages and emails.
He said the employee’s husband sent the company a check for $4,000 in an effort to start repaying the stolen money. According to police, the employee will not be able to pay back the remaining amount.
Christian Credit Outreach was founded in 1991 and is now located on Roosevelt Avenue in Franklin. McTaggart, who works out of California, said company employees travel to host trade shows and conferences. The employee’s alleged thefts, he said, “slipped through the cracks.”
He added that the company is struggling, and he has not personally drawn a paycheck since April.
The employee had more than 10 years experience, McTaggart said. Although she was never suspected to be stealing from the company, it was discovered during the investigation that she had stolen from organizations in the past.
“You know all the warning signs of people that steal — a husband loses a job or they buy a new house or a new car,” he said. “She didn’t have any of those things.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or andrew.sedlak@coxinc.com.
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