A Pennsylvania woman has recently been terminated from her government job. Unfortunately, she was just one year shy of qualifying for the state pension program. Her termination stems from accusations and charges of theft while being employed by the city.
The woman worked for the Human Resources Department for the city and managed the payroll system. In addition, she managed reimbursements for employees’ flexible spending accounts for health care. During a review of records, the city finance director claims to have found small discrepancies in the records and claims that they were in a suspicious pattern, all paid to the woman in Human Resources.
Allegedly, the woman confessed to making false explanation of benefits to Blue Cross/Blue Shield in order to make the small claims to herself. In total, she has been accused of stealing small amounts of money over three years, totaling $2,752.77. Another $1,700 worth of claims is also being reviewed that may eventually be included in her theft charges. As a result of the charges and investigation, she has been terminated from her job.
As in this woman’s case, charges of theft can result in serious consequences. Loss of employment, benefits and difficulty finding additional employment are all things that a charged individual can face. Pennsylvania criminal defense attorneys work hard with an individual to understand the circumstances and collected evidence with a client to form the best defense strategy. Some clients may see charges dismissed, and others may not be able to avoid a conviction, but attorneys can aide by negotiating lesser terms of sentencing.
