By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 60-year-old woman, who admitted embezzling $70,000 from the Cushing Veterinary Clinic from which she was fired two years ago, was placed on six years’ probation Tuesday as part of a plea bargain with the prosecution.
Payne County Assistant District Attorney Jeremiah Gregory told Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler in court Tuesday, “Total restitution has been paid — the victims are in the courtroom today and agree,” with the recommended sentence.
When the judge asked the defendant what she did, Denise Leanne Munsell, 60, of Cushing, replied Tuesday, “stole money.”
Munsell was given a six-year suspended sentence with conditions including $70,000 restitution that was already been paid, a $750 fine, a $960 prosecution fee and a $100 assessment to the victims’ compensation fund, as recommended by the prosecutor.
In a news release when the charges were filed on Nov. 15, 2019, District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas said that embezzlements committed against small business owners and non-profit entities totaled over $7 million in Payne County during the previous five years.
“This case is an example of the many small businesses, trusts, and non-profit entities in our county that have suffered losses from employees, agents and trustees who have stolen money and property out from under them. It has a profound impact on the local economy when small businesses suffer these losses.
“Many small businesses are already struggling to stay solvent. Embezzlements are a license to steal and will not be tolerated,” the DA said.
According to the news release, “Investigations conducted by the Cushing Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, along with forensic accountings completed by an external accounting firm, revealed Munsell had fraudulently inflated her timesheets, skimmed cash deposits, and credited personal accounts receivable on the company’s books without making payment.”
Munsell was a part-time employee of McNeil Well Service and the Cushing Veterinary Clinic whose job tasks included completing employee time sheets, billing and receiving daily deposits, and register reconciliation, OSBI agent Rachell Savory wrote in an affidavit.
“Munsell was supervised by Denise McNeil, who co-owned both businesses. McNeil learned Munsell was taking money from deposits and enhancing her timesheets to reflect more than her agreed upon 28-hour workweek. McNeil confronted Munsell, who apologized and agree to pay back McNeil,” the affidavit said.
An audit identified inflated regular and vacation hours claimed by Munsell, who as a part-time employee was ineligible for vacation pay or overtime pay, the affidavit said.
“McNeil reviewed records, receipts and deposit transactions between 2012 and 2019. McNeil documented a loss over $30,000 in fraudulent time earnings. McNeil documented a loss over $30,000 in cash deposit discrepancies,” the affidavit said.
In an interview with the OSBI agent, “Munsell admitted that she inflated her time sheets to reflect errands she completed off-the-clock. Munsell felt she was owed the extra time she claimed. Munsell admitted to crediting her veterinary account and other accounts to reflect payment was made by credit card and not posting the credit card payments. Munsell explained she paid those funds back as requested,” the affidavit said.
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