Ex-Employee Accused of Stealing $155K from Salt Lake City's Richards Brandt Miller Nelson
An unidentified ex-employee has been charged in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake City with embezzling over $155,000 from a Utah law firm. Richards Brant Miller Nelson picked up on alleged theft after an audit indicated fees were being paid to “consultants” that were not on the firm’s list of those to whom money was supposed to be paid, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.
Bank surveillance footage helped authorities link the payments to the suspect. The 49-year-old ex-employee allegedly deposited 36 checks totaling $155,300 into two Zions Bank accounts for herself and her husband between early 2008 and late 2010.
A number of law firms throughout the country have complained of being victimized by trusted employees in such alleged scheme. And a major Australian firm made international news in October after its chief financial officer was charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. An audit also identified the alleged theft in that case.
At least nine United States cases, including this one, have hit the headlines within the past seven months or so, as detailed in earlier ABAJournal.com posts:
Former Office Manager Admits Stealing Over $1.1M From NJ Law Firm
Despite Partner’s Protest, Ex-Bookkeeper Gets Deferred Adjudication in Alleged $32K Law Office Theft
Former Office Manager Gets 33 Months in Club Fed for Stealing $1.1M from NJ Law Firm
