Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Madeline Sherratt

Employee allegedly embezzled $215,000 from furniture store she worked at over two years

Maria Hamma, 46, from South Carolina reportedly stole from her employer and embezzled over $200,000 in two years - (Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)

An employee has been accused of embezzling more than $200,000 from a South Carolina furniture store and spending some of it on two European vacations.

Maria Hamma, 46, from South Carolina allegedly stole the money from her employer Furniture from High Point in Anderson County, according to authorities.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Office claims that Hamma, who worked at the store for 10 years and was a manager for seven, took more than $215,000, some of which was used to pay for both three-week holidays.

A two-month investigation was launched after the store’s owner spotted “inconsistencies” in the company’s business records.

Detectives allege that Hamma used at least six different methods to embezzle the money, including allegedly stealing directly from the company’s cash register, as well as running up $30,000 worth of personal expenses on her company credit card.

She is also accused of writing herself a $6,000 bonus check and forging timecards with more than 800 hours of fake work,

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said the now ‘former’ employee has been charged with committing a breach of trust, forgery, and computer crimes (Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)

“When she was adding to the timecard, we’re talking 800 hours that were added over the course of two years. Every time I thought we were getting close to the end, something else would pop up,” said Detective Tyler Brown.

Hamma is also accused of fraudulently acting as if she was the company’s owner and “forged contracts” resulting in a total loss to the store of $215,318.

She now faces felony charges of committing a breach of trust, forgery, and computer crimes and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Following her arrest Hamma was released on a $15,000 bond, reported FOX Carolina.

The Independent has contacted the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office for more information on the incident.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.