Employee is accused of stealing $50K from law firm during her first weeks on the job
A Utah woman is accused of stealing $50,000 from a law firm before completing her second week on the job.
Police say Samantha Bybee, 30, of Hyrum gave differing explanations for the February theft from Bearnson & Caldwell, report the Herald Journal and KUTV. She allegedly told police she took the money because of a threat to harm her children by a third party; to test law firm embezzlement safeguards; and to see if she could get away with it.
Bybee was charged with seven felonies and a misdemeanor, including theft, theft by deception and forgery, reports KUTV. It is unclear what position she held at the firm.
Partner Wayne Caldwell told KUTV he had discovered the firm’s operating account was missing money, and he asked Bybee to help him figure out where the money had gone. “By her sweating and her nervous reaction, it became apparent—readily apparent—that she was involved,” he alleged.
Bybee told KUTV that she forged law firm checks because a man she didn’t know had threatened to hurt her children if she didn’t pay. The police report states that she used most of the money to pay off her husband’s credit cards, according to the Herald Journal.
The partners of the firm told KUTV that they were able to recover most of the funds from the forged checks, but say they’ll be more careful in the future about hiring decisions. “We’ve been a little shell shocked,” said partner Brad Bearnson.
