Woman pleads guilty to theft of $100,000

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — A Girard woman has pleaded guilty to stealing $100,000 from two Trumbull County companies.

Ann Dean, 52, of Aspen Court, pleaded guilty Monday to an aggravated theft charge before Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Judge Kontos ordered a presentence report that takes six to eight weeks to complete. Dean faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Chris Becker, an assistant county prosecutor, said Dean stole the money from January 2004 to October 2007 while she was an accounting clerk for Sonitrol and Yps Integrated Systems.

In some cases, Becker said, Dean would simply make out company checks to “Cash” and cash them.

In other instances, he explained, Dean would make out a check to a vendor on the computer. She would put a stickie note over the “pay to” section of the check. She would then print out the check, remove the stickie note and type in her name for cashing.

In this way, Becker said, the computer would show that a check was issued to the vendor when it hadn’t been.

Becker said any order from Judge Kontos would include restitution to the companies.