73-Year-Old Woman Accused Of Stealing $82,000 From Employer

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL -- Pasco County Sheriff's deputies have arrested a 73-year-old St. Petersburg woman accused of defrauding her employer out of more than $82,000.

Patricia Smart was arrested on Feb. 12 after an investigation showed that she reportedly stole money from the RJ Brosseau Corp. between Jan. 4, 2016, and Sept. 10, 2018.

Smart did the billing for the New Port Richey company including issuing her own paychecks, said detectives. They said she would change the amounts on the checks after the company owner signed them.

Detectives said checks for $120 were changed to $420 and checks for $720 were changed to $920 before she would cash them at the bank.

In all, said the sheriff's office, Smart cashed 136 inflated paychecks, stealing more than $82,000 in the process.

Smart admitted to detectives that she altered the checks, saying she used the money to pay bills.

She was already on a 30-year community supervision sentence after being convicted of grand theft in 1991. She was charged with scheming to defraud and taken to the Land O' Lakes Detention Center where bond was set at $5,000.

Image via Pasco Sheriff

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