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January 16, 2016

The former receptionist for a Pasco dental office has admitted to stealing at least $8,600 by pocketing cash payments from customers.

Marcie Ramirez, 37, pleaded guilty in Franklin County Superior Court to first-degree theft.

In her plea statement, Ramirez told the court she took money from several people and kept it, rather than applying the payment to the accounts.

Her plea includes a promise by prosecutors that they won’t file any more charges for theft or fraud involving customers of Broadmoor Family Dentistry.

Court documents show Ramirez was confronted last year by the owner, Dr. Navjot Khurana, and office manager Oscar Garcia about the missing money.

She admitted that when some customers who didn’t have insurance paid with cash, she gave them handwritten receipts but actually pocketed the money.

Ramirez signed an agreement with the owner that she would return the money by June 10. When she did not pay up by the deadline or contact Khurana or Garcia, the office called Pasco police to report the theft, documents said.

Garcia gave police a list of clients with the amounts missing from their accounts. He later told a detective that the dental office was going to credit the clients’ accounts and take the loss.

The Sunnyside woman was sentenced to three months in jail, with the option to serve it on work release to help pay restitution and court costs.

Source: Pasco dental office receptionist admits pocketing cash payments | Tri-City Herald