People in all corporate ranks — even longtime, trusted employees — are now being charged with embezzlement, police and prosecutors say — after simply slipping cash from the till or creating an elaborate cover-up that allows them to steal from their employers for years. Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Frail said embezzlement cases compared to two years ago, has increased. “It’s anyone from the management on down. Cashiers — everyone — can fall prey.” He note not only embezzlement, but also forgery, uttering and credit card fraud. Screening new hires is the best way to prevent embezzlement, but Frail noted that even long after some employees have worked for one company, they resort to theft. Detective Lt. Jeff Shumate of the Beckley Police Department said “The biggest mistake is when you entrust one person with all the financial duties. Some of these people have worked at a company for 15 to 20 years. Over that time, trust has been built up. The business doesn’t think it will be a victim.”
