sacbee.com | 10/20/09 | $35,000 | suspect: Sueanna Gaines
A former UC Davis employee has turned herself in after authorities issued an arrest warrant charging her with stealing or embezzling more than $38,000 from the university.
Gaines was an accounting and purchasing coordinator at UC Davis for 10 years. She left in December, but officials would not say if she quit or was fired. Gaines did not receive severance payments, Loessberg-Zahl said.
Gaines is accused of using university gas and credit cards for personal expenses and stealing money from the intercollegiate athletics department where she worked. Among the specific allegations: that Gaines charged $17,324 to a university gas card for fuel used in personal transportation; charged $7,512 to a university credit card for personal items including camera equipment and wedding supplies; and stole $10,000 from her department's petty cash fund.
Gaines reported her fraudulent purchases in the university's electronic purchasing system as typical department supplies, authorities allege.
UC Davis officials learned of her alleged actions in October 2008 when a colleague reported questionable charges on Gaines' gas card to a supervisor. UC Davis police and the campus Internal Audit Services Department investigated.
They found that the intercollegiate athletics department didn't have anyone making sure employees were following proper business procedures, Loessberg-Zahl said.
On Aug. 1, campus police asked the Yolo County DA to issue a warrant for Gaines' arrest. The warrant charges her with one count each of theft, grand theft and embezzlement; and four counts of embezzlement as an employee in control of property.
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