“Family-owned businesses and other small or local interests can be irreparably devastated by embezzlement on this scale from their own trusted employees,” Nessel mentioned in an announcement.
Dealers throughout the nation proceed to be victims of worker embezzlement, together with two current circumstances in Michigan. A former Betten Baker Chevrolet-Buick of Cadillac worker was arrested in April after prosecutors alleged he embezzled greater than $68,000 from the northern Michigan dealership. The earlier month, within the southeast Michigan city of Dundee, a 43-year-old lady was arrested for allegedly embezzling greater than $200,000 from Williams Brothers Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, in keeping with the Dundee Police Department.
The State of Michigan mentioned it believes Root embezzled the cash between 2016 and 2019, utilizing the money for playing. It was when LaFontaine was buying Glenn Buege Buick-GMC Lansing that Root confessed to taking greater than $250,000 from the dealership to cowl her playing losses. Root, who didn’t declare the additional cash on her taxes, was charged with 4 counts of embezzlement and 4 counts of submitting a false tax return.
The lawyer normal labored with the Michigan Department of Treasury and Michigan State Police within the investigation. Root pled responsible in April.
The LaFontaine Automotive Group, of Highland, Mich., renamed the shop LaFontaine Buick-GMC Lansing in 2019. LaFontaine offered 24,750 new retail automobiles in 2023 and ranks twenty fifth on Automotive News‘ listing of the highest 150 dealership teams. Root’s embezzlement didn’t have an effect on the brand new homeowners.
Said LaFontaine spokesperson Max Muncey: “We have no involvement or any impact on LaFontaine Automotive Group as a result of her charges or sentencing.”
Source: www.autonews.com