A former employee of the Dental Associates of the Southwest in Durango, Colo., pleaded guilty to stealing $500,000 from the practice, according to The Durango Herald.
In the plea deal, Robin Bernazzani faced anything from probation to eight years in prison. The judge sentenced the former employee to four years in prison for her 10-year embezzlement scheme.
According to a written confession by Ms. Bernazzani, the former employee would use a signature stamp or forge a dentist's signature to write checks to herself. She would then go into the practice's system and record the checks as an expense to the dental lab or supply company.
Ms. Bernazzani also used dentists' credit cards to pay for personal bills and online shopping. According to the arrest affidavit, she would record the charges as bulk payments to various dental supply companies.
The former employee confessed to embezzling the $500,000 in July 2018. The case unsealed Ms. Bernazzani's past conviction for stealing $10,000 from First National Bank of Durango. She received a deferred sentenced for the 2008 case.
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In the plea deal, Robin Bernazzani faced anything from probation to eight years in prison. The judge sentenced the former employee to four years in prison for her 10-year embezzlement scheme.
According to a written confession by Ms. Bernazzani, the former employee would use a signature stamp or forge a dentist's signature to write checks to herself. She would then go into the practice's system and record the checks as an expense to the dental lab or supply company.
Ms. Bernazzani also used dentists' credit cards to pay for personal bills and online shopping. According to the arrest affidavit, she would record the charges as bulk payments to various dental supply companies.
The former employee confessed to embezzling the $500,000 in July 2018. The case unsealed Ms. Bernazzani's past conviction for stealing $10,000 from First National Bank of Durango. She received a deferred sentenced for the 2008 case.
More articles on dentists:
California dental office employees file 27 false insurance claims, lawsuit alleges
Former Carestream Dental employee steals $85K from customers, lawsuit alleges
Data breach affects employees, patients at Ohio dental practice: 5 things to know