Bookkeeper accused of $50,000 embezzlement

A 45-year-old Gardnerville woman faces a dozen felony charges in connection with the alleged embezzlement of $50,000 from Bob's Performance Center.

According to court documents, Peggy Henderson is charged with embezzlement, grand larceny, seven counts of forgery and three counts of uttering a forged instrument.

The money apparently began to disappear shortly after Henderson was hired in April 2009 and ended with her firing from the company Jan. 22.

She was jailed on $15,000 cash bail and is set for a Wednesday appearance in East Fork Justice Court.

Henderson was to be sentenced Tuesday in Mono County on grand theft, accused of stealing $100,000 in 2007-08 from an appliance store, according to court documents.

Justice Jim EnEarl refused to lower her bail on Friday. He appointed lawyer Tod Young to represent her.

Owner Bob Sedlmayr said he hired Henderson in April to run his front office. Shortly after Henderson went to work, she reportedly told him that she transferred his personal bank account into the business account.

Sedlmayr said he didn't question her decision because he trusted her. He told deputies that a lot of people seemed to visit her at work who needed cash, and she would give it to them.

Sedlmayr discovered the alleged crime Jan. 22 when four checks fell out of her handbag she had written to herself.

Henderson said she took the liberty of paying herself through the company account rather than payroll. Sedlmayr said her fired her and took her office keys.

After her departure, Sedlmayr told deputies he received numerous telephone calls from customers about bad checks.

He was contacted by his bank manager who said he'd called several times about overdrawn and returned checks, but Henderson took the calls and said Sedlmayr was aware of the problem and trying to take care of it.