A Mount Airy woman has been convicted of embezzling money from a local business and sentenced to serve 18 months of a 10-year sentence, according to a Wednesday news release from the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Dana Louise Coleman, 47, of the 14000 Block of Harrisville Road, pleaded guilty to a felony theft scheme Wednesday before Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Fred Hecker, according to the release. Hecker sentenced Coleman to 10 years, all but 18 month suspended, with those 18 months to be served at the Carroll County Detention Center.
Coleman was arrested in January after she was indicted on four felony theft scheme counts, the other three being dropped after her guilty plea Wednesday.
Coleman had worked as a bookkeeper for A&D Auto Parts, Inc. and A&D 24 Hour Towing, Inc, both in the 3000 block of Liberty Road in New Windsor, from 2005 through 2015, according to the release, 2015 being the year the company noticed she had been paying her and her family’s bills through unauthorized charges to the company account.
An investigation revealed Coleman had also stolen cash from the business and issued “excessive” paychecks to herself, according to the release.
“People in a position of trust are held to a higher standard and should be held accountable for a violation of that trust,” Carroll County State’s Attorney Brian DeLeonardo is quoted as having said about the case in the release.
Coleman’s attorney, Thomas Nugent Jr., of the Carroll County Public Defender’s Office, could not be reached Wednesday afternoon for a comment.
Upon her release, Coleman will serve five years of supervised probation, according to the release, and must pay restitution.
