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August 27, 2008

Woman accused of embezzling $200K from employer

By BOB GIBBINS

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — Cherokee County authorities arrested a local woman Tuesday on charges that she embezzled more than $200,000 from her employer over the past three and a half years.

Ronda (Taulbee) Crow was arrested when she came to the sheriff’s office at Undersheriff Jason Chennault’s request to speak about the embezzlement. She refused to talk with Chennault and requested an attorney.

Cornerstone Home Health Administrator Kent Rountree and the company’s attorney, Wayne Bailey, went to Chennault Aug. 21 with a report that Cornerstone’s office manager, Crow, had taken $220,000 from the business. Rountree provided investigators with bank statements showing the embezzlement.

Chennault’s report states it appears Crow started embezzling money by writing checks from the business’s checking account on Aug. 31, 2004. The first check was written to R&R; Sales, a feed supply company co-owned by Crow and her husband. Rountree alleges his signature was forged on the check.

When the bank statement was received, R&R; Sales was whited out and Gulf Sales entered as the payee. Gulf South is a regular vendor for Cornerstone.

Chennault’s report states Crow wrote 126 checks to herself, ranging from $459.36 to $3,878.28. Each time she allegedly whited out the payee and inserted the name of a regular vendor.

Rountree learned of the embezzlement when Clyde Enlow, of Armstrong Bank, alerted him that Crow was trying to get a loan for Cornerstone using her personal property as collateral.

Before telling Chennault she wanted an attorney, Crow was informed of Rountree’s report, and she claimed she was doing what she was told to do. She was booked into the County Detention Center.

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