Former office manager faces fraud charges in Louisiana

When a company hires an office manager, one of the main characteristics for which management looks is integrity. After all, when a person is responsible for a company’s payroll, he or she needs to be honest. A current lawsuit in the 24th Judicial District Court in Louisiana involves a financial group that has accused a former office manager of being anything but honest. In fact, she is now charged with fraud.

The lawsuit states that the defendant was hired to fill the position of office manager in December of 2012 and remained in the position until she was terminated in May of 2013. One of her duties was to manage the payroll, which included issuing her own pay checks. The plaintiff alleges that the defendant issued unauthorized payments to herself on numerous occasions.

The financial group contends that the office manager fraudulently paid herself bonuses totaling $23,000 during the time of her employment. Furthermore, it is claimed that, despite the plaintiff’s demands for the repayment of the fraudulently obtained money, the defendant refused. The plaintiff accuses the former office manager of theft and fraud and seeks the amount of $23,000, in addition to legal costs and court fees.

When a Louisiana resident is charged with fraud by a current or former employer, he or she may find that life becomes very difficult. Due to the potential consequences of a conviction for such a charge, it is important for an accused individual to seek the assistance of a legal professional early in the process. By starting on a defense strategy sooner rather than later, an individual can rely on the advice of a criminal defense attorney, which may prevent him or her from making mistakes that could hurt his or her case.

Source: louisianarecord.com, “Office manager sued for allegedly embezzling $23K from employer“, Kyle Barnett, March 25, 2015