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Woman Charged With Embezzling Thousands From Doctor
September 15, 2012
A Beulah woman was arrested Friday afternoon on charges that she embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from a local physician.
Ellen Renee Garrett, 55, of 8470 Beulah Road, was charged with one count of grand theft.
Pensacola Police Department detective Cliff Lyster said Garrett was an employee of Gulf Coast Podiatry on North Nine Avenue since 2002 had been embezzling funds from patient cash payments for services they received from Dr. Joseph Kiefer.
Lyster said it was Garrett’s responsibility to post payments to patient accounts. However, an investigation determined she didn’t post payments as she should, nor did she deposit cash into business accounts. Garrett would cover up her activity by fraudulently posting a transaction to reduce balance on patient accounts by the amount of money a patient had paid, Lyster said.
Garrett embezzled $43,739.34 during the past four years, police said. The thefts were discovered during a recent audit of business accounts. The investigation began in June after the Pensacola Police Department was notified about the thefts.
Comments
7 Responses to “Woman Charged With Embezzling Thousands From Doctor”
I would if you may try for a moment to put this ladys mind at ease. Less than thirty days ago I had prosecuted an employee for embezzling funds from my business. Though the amount was half as much,the crime was the same. She transferred funds with an online acct to her account. They gave her a whopping 36 months probation. She must make restitution but we all know that is not going to happen. So mam rest at ease tonight,other than the embarrassment nothing is going to happen to you.
So if I leave a big wad of cash sitting on the dashboard of my unlocked car while I go into the store, I should expect it to be there when I get back?
How about if I leave the car running and the doors unlocked while I go shop at the mall?
Civil matter??????? Hahahahahhahahaha
What country do you live in? A theif is a theif. She EMBEZZLED. Look it up!
This is not a civil matter. She is a theif and took something that did not belong to her. We have a justice system and it should be used. She needs prison time to show her that this was against the law and not to do it again. This is in no way a civil tort.
In today’s economy business’s cannot afford to update their systems to the most advanced ones out there. It’s a shame that this was even mentioned, you can’t even trust your 10 year employees these days.
Help me understand why the doctor who treated her as a trusted employee is at fault in this. Those who wish to steal will most times cover their crimes very well. I have known Dr. Kiefer for a number of years and he has always been kind and trusting. Using the logic of cost, maybe no one should be arrested— just go the civil route. So if Kiefer sued her it would still have to go to court. What could he recover– nothing.
I know of to many cases of people suing someone and they were never paid the judgement. The crook or dead beat will moved to another state and most people just do not want to throw good money after bad.
@BT,
I think technically she was ripping off the patients. I don’t think you are wrong in your comment, but there would also be cases for civil judgement’s against the business for defrauding its customers.
She should probably also be charged for abuse of the Elderly or Disabled under Fl Statute ch 825.
She probably will get some tax charges too for not reporting the money she took in.
Civil matter. The investigation and prosecution are going to cost taxpayers more money than she might have stolen. Proper internal controls at the business would have likely prevented this.