The Lighter Side:
Cake, Presents & Embezzlement
There’s nothing like a birthday party complete with an over-the-top cake, mounds of balloons and presents stacked to the ceiling. No, we’re not talking about Miley Cyrus’ 23rd birthday extravaganza, we’re talking about the surprise birthday bash Ruth C. Amen threw for her boss, without approval. The lavish party raised eyebrows and led to a review of the office manager’s accounting practices. Turns out Amen had been embezzling money from the business to pay her personal credit card debt. She also cut extra paychecks for herself, “forgetting” to deduct insurance costs from them. Maybe Amen felt bad about stealing and wanted to make up for it somehow, but all of the birthday cakes in the world wouldn’t quite cover the $181,674 she stole. When the last candle was blown out, Amen was found guilty of Grand Theft and Scheme to Defraud, both felonies. Next time, buy a card; it’s much less suspicious.