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Local bookkeeper sentenced to three years probation for theft 

Alisha Cannon ordered to pay restitution of $28,998

Alisha Cannon embezzlement

Alisha Cannon was found guilty of one count of felony grant theft by embezzlement.

The North County woman, Alisha Amber Cannon, found guilty of felony grand theft in September was given three years probation at her sentencing hearing on Wednesday. The conditions of her probation is to obey all laws and pay restitution of $28,998.05.

Cannon, 31, was originally charged with three counts of felony grand theft by embezzlement and was found guilty of one count of felony grand theft at her hearing on Sept. 10. Cannon was charged by the San Luis Obispo County’s District Attorney earlier this year after her former employer, Benny Simons, president of Simons Construction, Inc., discovered that she had been buying items from Staples on the company account.

“We weren’t looking for it,” Simons said in September. “We treated her like family around here…I never suspected anything.”

Simons did not discover what had happened until Cannon quit Simons Construction, Inc. after about three years of employment as the company’s office manager/bookkeeper. She went on to start her own business, Cannon Business Services. Simons and his wife found that Cannon stole more than $20,000 worth of products over two and a half years and, in her last 13 months of employment, started depositing money into her account when she did a direct deposit for other employees and slipped in an extra deposit for herself. He said she took more than $30,000 in money and items while she was employed by his company.

Cannon was originally charged with three counts of felony grand theft by embezzlement:

  • Count 1: Felony grand theft by embezzlement was committed between March 13 and Dec. 14, 2011, when she unlawfully took money and personal property from Simons Construction, Inc. that exceeded a value of $950.
  • Count 2: Felony grand theft by embezzlement was committed between Jan. 13 and Dec. 28, 2012, when she unlawfully took money and personal property from Simons Construction, Inc. that exceeded a value of $950.
  • Count 3: Felony grand theft by embezzlement was committed between Jan. 23 and Nov. 5. 2013, when she unlawfully took money and personal property from Simons Construction, Inc. that exceeded a value of $950.

 

Though she originally pleaded “not guilty,” at her hearing on Sept. 10, she plead guilty to the first count and the other two were dismissed due to the plea bargain.

“I’m glad it’s kind of behind me,” Simons said. “I don’t understand why they let her plead down to one felony count from three felony counts. I’m relatively satisfied with the judgment against her.” Simons said he just doesn’t want anyone else to have to go through was he and his family did.

 

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