Dental Office Manager Convicted of Stealing $85K from Practice

An NJ woman has been convicted of stealing more than $85,000 from a PA dental practice where she worked as an office manager.

The Mercury News reports that Jackie Singer, 50, of Pennsauken, NJ, took the money to pay for her “lavish lifestyle.” She was convicted of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and forgery. The funds were stolen from the Julie Robin Arouh Dental Practice in Abington, PA, between 2008 and 2014 the Mercury News reported.

The Mercury News quotes Assistant District Attorney Meghan Carney as saying, “As an employee she stole money from the business bank accounts of the doctor and owner of that business. … She was the office manager, so she had full rein of the books as well as the business bank accounts. She was stealing from the office in different ways. We will be seeking some type of jail time.”

Singer, according to the Mercury News, was fired in March 2014 and subsequently, the practice owner audited office records revealing several red flags. An investigation later revealed that Singer used the practice’s accounts to pay her personal credit cards. She also forged a doctor’s signature to issue checks for personal use, the Mercury News says.

Additionally, Singer used a company credit card for personal purchases, including trips to the Bahamas and Las Vegas, airline tickets, hotel reservations, and personal expenses, such as car insurance.

Her defense, the Mercury News reported, tried to make the case that the practice owner had given her permission to use the funds. But the prosecution refuted those claims.