Erie, Pa.-based Family Eye Care's former business manager has been accused of embezzling over $100,000 from the practice, according to a May 16 report from the Erie Times-News.
Carol Harrington is accused of writing herself checks from the practice and making unauthorized purchases using company funds.
Ms. Harrington was arraigned May 14 following a criminal complaint filed by city police. She is facing second-degree felony counts of forgery and theft, and third-degree felony counts of bad checks, access device fraud and receiving stolen property.
She allegedly stole $101,139.65 from Family Eye Care between 2017 and 2022.
Police launched an investigation into Ms. Harrington in January 2023 after a physician with Family Eye Care reported theft of funds. At the time, it was estimated that $50,000 was missing from the practice.
A forensic audit done on four of Family Eye Care's business accounts determined the total amount was closer to $100,000. Ms. Harrington reportedly took the money by making unauthorized purchases and writing unauthorized checks, which she signed by using a stamp containing a physician's signature.
An audit of her bank account revealed checks deposited into the account that represented the total of fraudulent checks taken from the practice.
Mr. Harrington worked at the practice from 2015 to 2022. Just before she left the practice, a physician noticed discrepancies between QuickBooks entries and the copies of checks received.
Entries were found to vendors and reimbursements to Ms. Harrington, but the checks corresponding to those entries were made directly to Ms. Harrington and labeled as pay advances, bonuses and other things, according to the affidavit.
Ms. Harrington allegedly tried to write the practice's physician a check for $5,000 to make up for the embezzlement and admitted to having a gambling problem.