Embezzlement

[live4christp1]

One of our co-workers was fired for this yesterday. Over the past several weeks I had been tasked with researching info and "smoking guns" that he had created. I know without a shadow of a doubt this person is guilty and deserved the punishment. The evidence was there.

It has been a stressful few weeks here, trying to research this info and work with him. He was suspended on Monday and yesterday they called him in to collect all his personal items from his office. It has been completely exhausting mentally.

I had thought that I would feel some huge relief after it all came to a conclusion but last night I just felt really bad. Couldn't sleep hardly at all.

 

[Judy from Boise]

It certainly isn't your fault! I do know the feeling, I have had to do that a few times with nurses who were stealing narcotics. It is not fun.

 

[mm_ja]

Cheer up, its no big deal. Back in my internal audit days we got a tip on our fraud line, I did the whole fraud investigation on this guy, dug up the dirt, interviewed him, collected evidence presented it, got everything ready to go to court, and got him fired. He went home told his wife she blew up, told him she wanted out, he killed himself that night. Now that sucked.

 

[live4christp1]

Cheer up, its no big deal. Back in my internal audit days we got a tip on our fraud line, I did the whole fraud investigation on this guy, dug up the dirt, interviewed him, collected evidence presented it, got everything ready to go to court, and got him fired. He went home told his wife she blew up, told him she wanted out, he killed himself that night. Now that sucked.

Sorry, that did not make me feel better. Actually, now I feel sick.

 

[kellyg403]

You feel bad because you are a good person and always looking for a reason why someone would do something. Thats what I tell myself.

I have had to investigate, gather evidence and fire someone myself. Did I like it no. But the reality for me is that one person who can not play by the rules no matter what the reason is endangering all our jobs in the end. So I try to remember that my first loyalty is to the company and the other employees that are playing by the rules.

Sorry your bummed, but you did the right thing for everyone.

Kelly

 

[Sonya]

mm_ja, how does that help the OP? "It's no big deal"???? Your story says to me that you want to one-up the OP. Think before you reply.

Sorry you had to go through this OP, try not to let yourself feel guilty. You did the right thing.

 

[mm_ja]

Not trying to one up her at all, just trying to say hey could be worse.

 

[Sonya]

But now she has to worry that it will happen to the person she knows.

Sorry to hijack your thread OP, I'll hush now.

 

[Amlee]

You didn't cause this person to lose his job. He DID! You did your job. He is the one at fault, not you.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[tinatark]

Wow - so he's "just" fired? No charges? Sounds like he is lucky.

I was very close to working in internal audit when I worked for a Credit Union before - not somewhere I wanted to be!

 

[Michelle67]

I agree with Kelly, that you probably feel badly because you are a good person and want to think the best of others; that there must be some reasonable explanation or circumstance. I have seen people that I worked with and really liked fired over stealing, and it always made me really sad even though I had nothing to do with the process. My younger niece was also convicted of embezzling, which was horribly shocking. The doof was using a company credit card to take her friends out drinking and to dinner at fancy places, and to buy expensive Christmas presents. I think for some people, like my niece, it is an urge to be grandiose and do impressive things for others that gets them in trouble, moreso than a personal greed---that is, moreso than a desire to steal in order to have nice things oneself. If that makes sense...

Anyhow, I'm sorry that you had to see all the dirty laundry, and that you are feeling sad about it.

 

[Amlee]

Wow - so he's "just" fired? No charges? Sounds like he is lucky.

That was something that crossed my mind also. As the lady who embezzled from us is in prison.

 

[live4christp1]

It was cash. He was pretty good at hiding his tracks but we are talking large sums of cash, almost no paper trail.

Said they had enough evidence to fire but not enough to press charges. They have the product (on security camera)that was being sold for cash being loaded and not coming back and I found the paper trail where it was being covered up but not the actual money going in the pocket.

 

[live4christp1]

Thankfully, I didn't have to be in on any of the interview/confrontation process. All I had to do was find the paper trail which is stamped with times so that upper management could pull those times on the cameras. Then it went from my boss to the HR manager to make the final decision.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Cristy that stinks that you had to do the uncovering.
I've done investigations myself for my job and even though the people are guilty I still keep hoping that they don't incriminate themselves so easily.
At the end of the day I always think about the pictures of their kids on the desk. What's the spouse going to say? What happens to them financially?

No, its not your fault. But being a caring person you can't help but feel bad. I can sympathize with you. Sometimes doing your job can suck!

 

[disneyfan67]

To the OP:

You did nothing wrong and it's a shame that you're feeling guilt that the person who did the crime, earned completely on his own. You were doing a job that was handed to you by the company you work for. Period! Any fallout and or punishment that person receives in the future from his or her actions, is their responsibility. Any thief that has an ounce of common sense knows full well that the possibility of being caught is very likely and almost a guaranteed thing to happen. My mother was an RN for almost 40 years and a few decades ago she was aware that a very popular doctor that practiced in her hospital, was starting to self medicate and losing control to his addiction.

She noticed one day he was getting ready to do a procedure on a patient and it was obvious that he was in no shape to drive, let alone operate on a patient. She did the right thing and reported him. Now mind you he was a popular doctor and the other doctors who were members in the "good old boy" club were protecting/covering for him for quite a while. It took a lot of courage to do what she did and there was some fallout from this, but she did the right thing.

You just have to keep remembering that you're doing the right thing as well, you did nothing wrong or illegal, and you're doing a job that was assigned to you. When you feel down, just keep reminding yourself of what I bolded above. I hope you feel better.