Woman sentenced for theft of $113K

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Ann Dean

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — A Girard woman has been sentenced to 10 days in Trumbull County Jail, five years’ probation and ordered to repay part of the $113,000 she stole from a Warren security-alarm company where she worked.

Ann Dean, 52, of Aspen Court, was sentenced in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court this week after pleading guilty earlier to aggravated theft.

Chris Becker, an assistant county prosecutor, said Dean stole money from January 2004 to October 2007 while she worked as an accounting clerk at YPS Integrated Systems/Sonitrol on Elm Road in Warren.

Becker said Dean would in some cases make out company checks to “cash” and cash them. In other cases, she made out checks to a vendor on the computer, then covered up the “pay to” section of the check and inserted her own name so she could cash it.

The thefts were discovered by an employee at the bank where Dean was cashing the checks, Becker said. The employee suspected something was wrong because Dean was cashing vendor checks, not payroll checks, Becker said.

Dean will have to submit to random drug testing, will not be allowed to consume alcohol or drugs and will have to submit to DNA testing.

Judge Peter Kontos ordered her to pay court costs and a probation fee, and to pay $38,276 in monthly amounts to the company as restitution for the thefts.

The company’s insurance company reimbursed the security-alarm company $75,000 and has started civil proceedings to recover that money from Dean also, Becker said.

The $38,276 Judge Kontos ordered Dean to repay is the remainder of the stolen money, Becker said.