SNOHOMISH — Police arrested a Gold Bar woman outside her home Monday night after a three-month embezzlement investigation.
The 42-year-old woman is accused of stealing $200,000 from her Snohomish employer, a local construction company.
“I don’t remember the last time we had a case (of embezzlement) this large,” Snohomish police Cmdr. Fred Havener said.
The woman’s employer noticed something was fishy with the books and hired a certified public accountant to investigate earlier this year, he said.
The woman’s employer confronted her in May and she admitted she had taken the money, Havener said.
After the company fired the woman, it reported the theft to Snohomish police, who launched a separate investigation in May. Local investigators worked with forensic accountants to trace the stolen cash back to the employee, he said.
The woman was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on the charge of first degree theft and bail was set at $10,000. The Herald generally doesn’t name suspects until they’ve made an initial court appearance.
“This is an example of professional, patient police work that usually does not grab headlines but is nonetheless very important to the community,” Snohomish Police Chief John Turner said.
Debra Smith: 425-339-3197; dsmith@heraldnet.com.
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