A woman was recently charged with embezzlement at a Minnesota restaurant. According to authorities, she stole over $27,000. However, just because people are accused of committing white collar crimes does not mean that they are automatically guilty. Instead, they are always presumed innocent until and unless their guilt can be proved in a court of law.
In the recent embezzlement case, authorities said that the woman whom they arrested for embezzlement had been forging checks at the restaurant since November of 2016. They made the arrest after the owner of the restaurant reportedly discovered things that appeared odd on a bank statement. Police said that the business owner eventually learned that her bookkeeper had written checks to both herself and her daughter, despite the fact that her daughter was not an employee of the eatery.
Authorities said that the business owner further claimed that her bookkeeper had forged her signature. A forged check was reportedly drawn as recently as October of 2018. The woman who was arrested currently faces four counts of felony theft.
Those accused of white collar crimes in Minnesota may demand jury trials on the merits of the prosecution’s accusations. At trial, a defendant essentially forces the prosecution to prove all elements of the charges pending against him or her — a burden that can be hard to meet. Another option that the defendant has is to take a plea deal. A defendant is not obligated to accept a plea deal if one happens to be made. However, it might give him or her the best chance to make a wise and educated decision regarding his or her criminal defense options.