Petaluma Solar Company Employee Gets 14 Months Behind Bars For Embezzlement

A Vallejo woman was sentenced in Sonoma County Superior Court today to 14 months in prison and 14 months of probation for embezzling money from a Petaluma solar company.

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Eileen Madayag, 43, pleaded guilty in December to felony embezzlement from SPG Solar, where she worked as a payroll manager. She will serve 14 months in prison, which will be served in Sonoma County Jail, followed by the 14 months of probation, her attorney Richard Scott said.

Sonoma County prosecutors said Madayag embezzled $138,175 from the solar company between October 24, 2011, and May 22, 2014, by re-routing employee paychecks into several bank accounts in her own name and by intercepting and retaining accounts payable from clients to her employer.

The solar company’s management became suspicious when they learned a former employee still was receiving paychecks via direct deposit, according to the district attorney’s office.

Madayag was arrested July 24 after an internal audit discovered additional direct deposits were made in the names of other former employees and that several current workers were receiving double deposits of paychecks, prosecutors said.

Madayag will pay $168,000 in restitution to the company, including $30,000 for auditing and legal expenses, Scott said. Scott said Madayag has four children and took the money to make ends meet with the intention of paying it back.

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said Madayag “selfishly took advantage of a position of trust in the workplace.”

--Bay City News

--Image via Shutterstock

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