June 11, 2014 at 4:39 p.m.
Arbor Vitae woman accused of embezzling from animal hospital
Arbor Vitae woman accused of embezzling from animal hospital
In a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, Brenda Wigglesworth, 47, was charged with one felony count of theft in a business setting of more than $10,000. The charge centers on a five-year span in which Wigglesworth was employed at the Northwoods Animal Hospital in Minocqua, where she had worked as a bookkeeper and office manager since 1999.
Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Steven Michlig said "a working number" of how much Wigglesworth may have taken is more than $33,000, but he said that number is subject to change.
In part that's because the police report attached to the criminal complaint contains a wide range of alleged financial improprieties, some of which are not included in the $33,000 total and which may not be prosecutable.
One claim, for instance, alleges Wigglesworth opened unauthorized lines of credit totaling more than $196,000. However, Michlig said Tuesday afternoon there is no evidence that any of the money from the lines of credit went directly to Wigglesworth. Rather, he said, "it appears to have gone back into the business."
The criminal complaint states Wigglesworth may have opened the lines of credit "to balance the books."
According to Michlig, the investigation is ongoing but nearing completion as police attempt to sift through years of financial records.
A charge was filed Tuesday, he said, because a six-year statute of limitations was on the horizon.
"We have already lost the ability to charge her actions from 2007," Michlig said.
Still, Michlig believes there is a strong case against Wigglesworth.
"I felt there was probable cause based on what I saw in the complaint," he said. "There's clearly $10,000 plus, which gave rise to the charges that we issued."
According to the criminal complaint, in June 2013 an independent accountant hired by the animal hospital reported various bookkeeping irregularities. The accountant claimed that Wigglesworth:
• Did not deposit entire proceeds of hospital earnings;
• Wrote checks and used business credit cards for personal expenses;
• Made loans to herself and other employees;
• Did not bill certain customers;
• Padded contributions to her and other employees' retirement accounts;
• Excessively reimbursed health care costs;
• Abused pay for vacation and personal days.
The complaint goes on to claim that a police investigation verified at least some of these findings.
In May 2013, the month after her employment was terminated, Wigglesworth allegedly wrote a check to the hospital's owners for what she described as "what I owe the clinic."
Police arrested her on Monday.
The felony charge is the product of a long-running investigation, according to officials. The Minocqua Police Department first began looking into Wigglesworth in April 2013 after receiving a report from the animal hospital that a former employee had allegedly embezzled money. Former police Chief Andrew Gee exclusively handled that inquiry up until October, when he resigned following an employment dispute involving his administrative assistant.
Gee's interim successor at the time, David Jaeger, who is now Minocqua's police chief, assigned a sergeant to the case, and also sought assistance from the Oneida County sheriff's office and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Gee was actively working on the case between April and October 2013, according to Jaeger, who said it is not abnormal for the police chief to personally take on larger investigations. But Jaeger also acknowledged that while Gee was handling the case, the hospital's owners raised concerns about the length and course of the investigation.
"I knew they weren't happy with how the investigation was progressing at first," Jaeger said in an interview.
Still, Jaeger said he did not believe the investigation was unduly delayed.
"There's a lot of things that are involved in investigations like this, and they can take an extremely large amount of time," Jaeger said. "Investigations like this become frustrating, especially for the victims who want the same thing we want, which is justice to prevail. But sometimes it just takes a little longer than everybody wants it to take."
On Tuesday afternoon, Wigglesworth appeared at an arraignment by video from the county jail. Her mother sat in during the hearing.
She was later released on a $15,000 signature bond.
Wigglesworth has no criminal record and is working three jobs, her attorney, Lindsay Erickson, said.
Erickson declined comment after Tuesday's arraignment, saying she had just been retained.
If convicted, Wigglesworth could be fined up to $25,000 and jailed up to 10 years.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 3.
As of press time, the Northwoods Animal Hospital did not return a call seeking comment.
Jonathan Anderson may be reached at [email protected]
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