Housekeepers often have access to almost every room, drawer, and spot in
the house. People place a lot of trust in their cleaning crew, assuming
that they won’t try to lift valuable items out of the house or steal
valuable information. Yet one homeowner believes that his housekeeper
can’t be trusted, after he alleges that she stole checks from him.
The Key Largo man says that he hired Carol Barrett as his housekeeper,
but fired her after she tried to cash stolen checks amounting to about $1,300.
The man says that he learned about the theft when a teller at Capitol Bank
became suspicious of Carol. He says that she tried to cash a $1,000 check
on July 2. Because of her off actions, the teller contacted the employer,
who told him not to cash the check. The teller said that he had written
down Barrett’s driver’s license information before she fled
the bank, and gave it to the authorities.
The police arrested Barrett on charges of uttering and possessing a forged
check and grand theft. Her third degree grand theft charge alone could
give her up to 5 years in prison, 5 years on probation, and a $5,000 fine.
Barrett can only be charged with this crime because she did not have more
than $20,000 in stolen assets. That would merit a second degree felony
with a much longer prison sentence. Her
forgery charges could bring on another punishment for a felony.
Despite the fact that she has been arrested, there is a chance that Barrett
is innocent. She may have been framed by a woman who wanted her fired,
or may have accidentally taken checks from the home for the wrong amount.
If you have been falsely accused in this manner, then you need a criminal
defense attorney to come to your aid and help you battle your charges.
Talk to someone today at Parks & Braxton for more information!