A former office manager for a Southern California dentist has been sentenced to two years in jail for embezzling more than $100,000 in insurance payments.
Deborah Lynn Kessler, 45, was accused of transferring the money to her own bank account, according to a story in the Orange County Register.
She may have used the money to pay for a recreational vehicle, boats, trips, and personal bills, investigators said.
Kessler pleaded guilty on December 22 to four counts of grand theft, according to court records. She was sentenced to two years in jail and two years of community supervision. She was also banned from working in dental offices.
Her attorney said she took the money because of "hard economic times."
Kessler had worked at the Ladera Ranch dental office for three years, but a new owner noticed discrepancies in the office finances earlier this year, according to investigators. The new and former owners eventually found that insurance checks were missing. Kessler is believed to have changed, endorsed, and then deposited the checks into her own accounts.
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