A Northern California dental assistant has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing $203,000 from a dentist and reportedly using the money to purchase jewelry and pay for cosmetic surgery.
Tiffany Lynae Lovell, 31, was sentenced June 24 in Sutter County Superior Court for embezzling funds between 2005 and 2010 while she worked as an office manager for Yuba City, CA, dentist Michael Passaglia, DDS, according to a story by the Appeal-Democrat.
Prosecutors say Lovell charged personal items on a company credit card and altered time sheets to collect pay for days she didn't work. She used the stolen money to buy jewelry, clothing, and electronics for herself and others, and to pay for cosmetic procedures, including breast augmentation, according to the newspaper.
The theft ended up costing Dr. Passaglia $338,838, including the cost of an investigation, the article stated. In a letter to the court, Dr. Passaglia told the court that she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him to pressure him into dropping charges.
