What’s an employee to do after being sued by a former employer for embezzlement? Apparently the answer for one California woman was to simply get another job, this time at a pizza chain, and steal $545,000 from that employer to pay off what she owed. It’s a vicious cycle, people.

FOX5 News in San Diego says authorities suspected the former bookkeeper of forging checks to herself during her four years with the pizza chain. When she learned that the restaurant was going to audit the books, she quit her job before it came to that.

Quitting won’t keep you from the long arm of the law, however. The audit showed that the woman had written 172 checks to herself from the pizza restaurant’s account, and forged the owner’s signature.

Police say she covered up the theft by listing legitimate vendors as receiving the checks, all while the money was going straight to her. She told the pizza owners by way of explanation that she stole the money to pay back a previous employer who had sued her for embezzlement.

The former employee pleaded guilty to one count each of embezzlement and forgery.

If I worked for a pizza chain I’d only be tempted to embezzle pizza, the delicious, cheesy currency of love.

Bookkeeper admits stealing $545K from pizza chain [FOX5 San Diego]

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