Bicycle Retailer
reports that a Seattle bookkeeper was indicted for nine counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of destruction of evidence after allegedly embezzling more than $200,000 from a Seattle-area bike company.
Prosecutors said the bookkeeper, Joan C. Trower, 50, forged checks from the company’s accounting software to herself and people she knew, among other schemes. The fake checks totaled $188,000. The indictment also said she transferred at least $26,000 to a fake accounting firm she created. All in all, the indictment said the cost to the company was between $200,000 and $300,000, which she used in part to gamble at local casinos.
The indictment does not specify which bike company is involved, only that it is “a private company that manufactures and sells high-end mountain bikes and related accessories.”
Trower worked for the company on contract from 2015 until her embezzlement was discovered in 2018, according to the indictment. She was arrested Feb. 5 and released on bond with a set of conditions, including a prohibition against gambling.
We have reached out to all the major Washington State bike companies for comment. Kona and Transition have both said it isn’t them. Evil has declined to comment.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/press-release/file/1365221/download
On page three of the indictment it says she forged the signature of the company’s COO, initials J.M.
Evil’s COO has the initials J.M.
Oh that’s a good one! I only recently joined Pinkbike because I was looking to buy my first full suspension bike I did end up buying an Evil Offering frame.
There's not really a casino culture in the UK. Gambling addiction has traditionally been a male issue and takes the form of betting in the local bookies.
Over the last few years there does appear to be an increase in news stories such as these involving women addicted to online gambling.
Not sure how popular it is in the rest of the world, but online bingo (along with chance games and slots) has gotten huge here. The advertising is hugely cynical and aimed at women specifically. They market the websites as a 'community' where you can meet, chat and play games with your friends (or make lots of new friends in it). The advertising is broadcast on programmes or at times where a large demographic of stay-at-home or part-time-employed mums will likely be watching, trying to capitalise on lonliness or boredom.
The result is the same as above. Become addicted to gambling. Get into debt. Steal money (acounting fraud is a common theme, but borrowing from friends and family on false pretences happens a lot too) to try and clear debt but also feeding continuing gambling.
It's a very sad thing to see. It's easy to villify the culprits. But it's hard not to have some sympathy when the gambling industry is being so blatantly exploitative.
I also take issue with online casinos/bookies that are mainly aimed at a male audience, especially sports-related advertising that advertises betting as 'part of the action' and creates a psychological link between watching sport and betting to make you feel 'more involved in the game'.
I should say that all of the above is based on my own observations and from reading news articles, i have no real insight or experience on the topic (other than feeling quite strongly about it).
As a last thought... If you see an advert for an online casino that asks "Do you want to play poker with real professional poker players?"; the correct answer is no, you do not. Those are the last people you want to play against. If it's your money you're playing with, you want to play against complete idiots.
I believe there are some ongoing reviews of the gambling industry here. Betting is quite common here but i don't think there's a strong enough culture that would result in major public pushback on any tightening of regulations. It's the online casinos and gaming that concern me the most. Particularly the way it's advertised - like the example in my comment above where they blatantly and purposely target time-poor mums that miss their social circle.
I mean alcohol adverts are mostly nonsense - good looking trendy people doing stuff that nobody ever really does. But imagine if an alcohol brand blatantly and puposely targeted people they considered predisposed to addiction problems!
verb [with object] formal
embezzle (funds with which one has been entrusted): the officials were charged with defalcating government money.
Love maiden. Right on bro.
Because I did, and a professor in the business department stole over $800k from a local dentist that he was doing accounting for on the side.
My dads accountant stole $5m from his business over the course of a few years. My mom conducted an audit, and the guy had already moved the money to the Virgin Islands. He did 8 years in prison, his family is living in the Islands, and he’s now dead.
Reading is FUNdamental.
That's a smart book keeper.
This killed my very beloved local shop , book keeper ram away with a years worth of taxes forcing the closing of the shop .