MUKILTEO — A Mukilteo woman is accused of embezzling more than $260,000 from a novelty toy company where she worked for two decades.
Anne Marie Woodard, 50, was charged Wednesday with first-degree theft, a felony. The amount of money involved and Woodward’s position of trust prompted prosecutors to file the case as a “major economic offense,” raising the possibility for extra punishment.
Woodard was employed until May 2008 as the general manager for Accoutrements, LLC, a wholesale retailer for novelty toys that provides merchandise to stores such as Archie McPhee in Seattle.
Shortly after she left, the owner learned that a large amount of accounting data had disappeared overnight from the company’s computers, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Constance Crawley wrote in court papers.
Also missing were paper copies of checks and the company’s check register ledger.
The owner met with police and hired a forensic accountant.
The accountant discovered that since 2005 more than 125 unauthorized checks had been written. The accountant also found unauthorized payroll transactions and deposits into an investment account. Money also had been stolen from petty cash and the company’s credit card had been used without the owner’s approval.
Mukilteo police detectives searched Woodward’s bank records and discovered that unauthorized checks from Accoutrements had been deposited in Woodard’s account, Crawley wrote. Unauthorized checks also had been written to businesses and people associated with Woodard, including a school music booster club, court papers said.
Woodard retained an attorney and declined to speak with detectives, Crawley wrote. She has no previous criminal history.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.
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