SF RESTAURANT BOOKKEEPER ADMITS $175,000 EMBEZZLEMENT
By Julia Cheever, Bay City News Service
January 31, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - A former bookkeeper for a San Francisco
restaurant pleaded guilty in federal court today to mail fraud
and credit card fraud charges in connection with the embezzlement
of $175,000 from the eatery.
Laurie Griffen, 52, of Redwood City was a bookkeeper at MoMo's
Restaurant in San Francisco from May 2003 to June 2005.
She pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William Alsup in
San Francisco and will be sentenced by Alsup on May 16.
U.S. attorney's office spokesman Luke Macaulay said Griffen admitted
in a written plea agreement to writing 57 checks on the restaurant's
checking account to pay for $175,000 in personal purchases and
rent on her Redwood City residence.
The personal purchases included $12,000 for four German bisque
collectible dolls, Macaulay said.
Griffen also admitted to obtaining a credit card in the name
of the restaurant, making $44,000 in personal purchases with the
card, and then paying the credit card balance with checks drawn
on the restaurant's bank account.
According to a search warrant affidavit filed in the case, the
thefts came to light in June when a restaurant noticed irregularities
in the check register and contacted San Francisco police.
The investigation was conducted by San Francisco police and the
U.S. Secret Service, Macaulay said.
Copyright © 2006 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication,
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