Questions linger in theft case

By Andy Gates - Argus Observer
Thursday, August 23, 2007 1:29 PM PDT

ONTARIO - A former office manager of Treasure Valley Pediatric Clinic in Ontario admitted last month to stealing more than $50,000 from her employer during a span of five years when she was entrusted with the firm’s finances.

Now, a single question remains unanswered.

Why?

The former office manager, Aleisa Jonn Salutregui, 35, Ontario, pleaded guilty July 17 in Malheur County Circuit Court to felony aggravated theft in the first degree, after she was charged by the D.A.’s office with the crime June 13. She was sentenced that same day to three years of supervised probation, 30 days of work crew, 10 days of jail, and before she pleaded she repaid her former employer $75,000, Malheur County Circuit Court records show.

According to an independent forensic accounting included in the Ontario Police Department report, Salutregui embezzled money from the company in the forms of cash, cash advances, unauthorized extra salary, health insurance premiums, unauthorized, increased life insurance policies, and fraudulent bill reimbursements.

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Salutregui had been office manager of the clinic operated by Dr. Sandra Dunbrasky since May 2000, and she was responsible for paying the firm’s bills and depositing its money, the police report shows.

Thefts and fraudulent reimbursements, the police report shows, increased dramatically between 2003 and 2006.

Dunbrasky was first tipped off to the thefts in August 2006 after the fraud department of a local bank called a family member concerning unusual activity on a Visa card that belonged to the family member. The family member had given the card to Salutregui thirty days earlier for “safe-keeping,” according to the police report.

When Dunbrasky confronted Salutregui about the card, she told the doctor she was ill and immediately left, the police report shows.

Dunbrasky became suspicious and began to investigate, according to the police report.

The doctor went into Salutregui’s office and found clinic bills had not been paid, IRS documents had not been delivered, and discrepancies were evident in financial and office documents, the police report shows.

The doctor contacted an accountant to help determine what Salutregui had done, according to the police report.

Salutregui is sorry for her actions, she said in a letter published last week in the Argus Observer, which the court had ordered her to write.

“I write this letter of apology to apologize for illegally taking, i.e. stealing, a very significant amount of money from Dr. Dunbrasky and TVPC,” she said in her public apology letter.

But, exactly why Salutregui betrayed the trust of her employer and admittedly stole thousands of dollars is unclear. The question is not directly addressed in her apology letter or in documents filed in court.

At least in December 2006, Salutregui was denying some of the assertions. She told police some of the money was “not taken intentionally” and at least one theft involved “confusion,” or a “mix-up,” according to an e-mail correspondence between Salutregui and police, which was included in the police report.

Salutregui would not say last week why she stole from her former employer.

“It was my understanding Dr. Dunbrasky didn’t want a story written. So out of respect for her I’m not going to say,” she said.

Dunbrasky would not comment Thursday.

“I have nothing to say other than what I said in court,” Dunbrasky said.

Malheur County Deputy District Attorney Lung Hung prosecuted Salutregui, and he said during the court proceedings she did not offer the judge a clear reason for why she stole from her boss.

Malheur County Circuit Court Judge J. Burdette Pratt had asked Salutregui in court why she committed theft — she said she did not know, Hung said.

“She said something to the effect of ... she didn’t know why, she just did it,” Hung said.

The case elicits important issues for business owners.

“Business owners need to be sure to have a proper audit,” Hung said, and not give one employee complete control over its finances.

First degree aggravated theft cases, similar to Salutregui’s, have occurred three to four times during the last couple years in Malheur County. Those cases have also involved trusted employees who stole over time from their employers, Hung said.