A Preble woman was arrested for embezzling around $20,000 from a city construction company she worked for, according to city police statements issued Friday and Monday.
Patricia M. Batsford, 63, of 6604 Rt. 281, worked as a billing and payroll clerk for Grant Street Construction and wrote at least 17 checks to herself and her own business, Pat Tees Apparel, police stated. The checks were written between May 20 and Oct. 22, said Lt. David Guerrera on Friday.
The company discovered the thefts and contacted city police, requesting them to be present when the owners fired Batsford Friday morning, Guerrera said.
Batsford admitted to the company and to city police she embezzled the money, he said. Due to her cooperation, police charged her with only one count each of second-degree forgery, third-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records, all felonies, Guerrera said. Batsford could have been charged with as many counts of each of the felonies as she wrote checks, he said.
Batsford was arraigned on Thursday in City Court and released to reappear at 9 a.m. Nov. 27.
