
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, July 14, 1990                   TAG: 9007140369
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: BEDFORD                                LENGTH: Short

THEFTS ADMITTED BY EX-BOOKKEEPER

A former bookkeeper for Bedford Main Street Inc. pleaded guilty Friday to stealing from the non-profit organization in an embezzlement scheme the prosecutor described as complex and sophisticated.

Shari F. Mullins, who was hired by the downtown revitalization group in August 1987 to handle financial records and secretarial duties, was found guilty of two counts of grand larceny and two counts of forgery in Bedford County Circuit Court.

Between November 1988 and early 1990, Mullins took $13,425 from Bedford Main Street, which has an annual budget of $65,000, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Philip Baker told the judge.

Mullins, who has cooperated with authorities since they began an investigation, helped explain the complicated scheme, Bedford City Police Sgt. Mel Massey testified Friday.

Massey described elements of the plot as follows:

Mullins sent a letter to Bedford Main Street's bank authorizing herself to use the organization's credit card.

The letter bore the signature of Janie Mantooth, who was director of Bedford Main Street at that time. Mullins had apparently photocopied Mantooth's signature and managed to attach it to the letter, Massey said.

In response, the bank gave Mullins an authorization code needed to use the card and she began making cash withdrawals from a money machine in Bedford using the card.

by CNB