Santa Rosa police arrest woman suspected of embezzling over $150,000 from business
A Petaluma bookkeeper has been arrested on suspicion of embezzlement, the Santa Rosa Police Department said Tuesday.
In July, police were alerted to a possible theft of funds at a landscape design and construction company in Santa Rosa. A new bookkeeper allegedly discovered discrepancies in the company's financial records.
Investigators examined the company's records and allegedly found an "abundance" of unauthorized credit card transactions.
Detectives spent several months authoring and serving search warrants for various business and financial institution records, police said. Through the information uncovered in those records and interviews with employees of the company, detectives identified the company's previous bookkeeper as the suspect in this long-term embezzlement.
Jennifer Sutton, 48, is suspected of fraudulently charging over $150,000 to a company credit card over a 5-year period. Sutton allegedly used the credit card for cash advances and non-business-related purchases with Amazon, Google, DoorDash, and to pay personal utilities such as water, electricity, and cable/internet services.
On Tuesday, detectives served a search warrant at Sutton's residence located in the 1400 block of Dandelion Way in Petaluma and allegedly located evidence of the embezzlement.
Sutton was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on suspicion of embezzlement and an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement, both felonies.