The former office manager for a Hot Springs company pleaded guilty Monday in Garland County Circuit Court to stealing almost $46,000 from the company to pay her own bills.
April Susan Gateley, 42, of Hot Springs Village, who had no prior criminal history, pleaded guilty to theft of property by deception over $25,000 and was sentenced to 10 years' probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $440 in court costs.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on March 25, the owner of Automated Solutions, 3500 Park Ave., filed a report with the Garland County sheriff's office alleging his office manager, identified as Gateley, who had been employed there for nine years, had stolen company funds.
He noted Gateley's duties included "office management, bookkeeping, paying bills, etc.," and that he had recently discovered activity on the company's bank account that was not authorized. He produced bank records showing payments made to a credit card belonging to Gateley beginning on May 22, 2018, and continuing through March 19.
The total loss at the time of the report was $45,864.55, but additional losses were anticipated as audits were completed.
Gateley's employment was terminated on March 25 and the owner recorded the termination proceedings during which Gateley did not deny using company assets and admitted to using company funds to pay her credit card account. She also admitted to using a company credit card to "occasionally pay for things at local stores and her cable bill."
On March 26, sheriff's Lt. Michael Roberson interviewed Gateley at the sheriff's department where she again admitted to taking and using company funds for her own use without authorization. She said that in order to hide the transactions, she kept the books using "Quick Books" accounting and would log the used funds under the "Bill me later" tab so the ledger would still balance out.
Gateley said she thinks she started using the funds for her own use less than three years ago and only for the occasional local purchases of goods. She was arrested at that time and released later that day on $5,000 bond. She had pleaded not guilty to the charge on May 3 and was later set for a disposition hearing on Monday.