Mayo woman accused of stealing more than $52K from Gainesville employer

Published 12:53 pm Friday, April 10, 2015

A Mayo woman was arrested in Gainesville on Wednesday, April 8, and charged with felony grand theft and scheming to defraud and obtain property, according to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) arrest report.

The report states that Christine Marcelle McCray, 40, 293 NW Crews McCray Rd., Mayo, was responsible for an ongoing scheme to defraud Computer Network Experts in Gainesville of an estimated $52,349 over several years.

McCray worked as the office manager for the business since 2008 and was solely responsible for doing the payroll, according to the report. McCray would process payroll checks for herself with a higher amount than what was reflected by her hours worked, the report states. She then disguised the fraudulent activity by modifying expense reports to show that her paychecks were accurate, and also increased the gross payroll amounts to match the payroll withdrawals from the business’s bank account, according to the report.

The fraudulent activity was discovered by the owners of the business after noticing checks were not matching actual deposits, the report indicates. The owners set up an emergency meeting with their accountant and McCray and it was discovered that additional funds had been missing for some time, the report states.

The following day, McCray reportedly didn’t show up for work. When the owners contacted her by phone, asking about her involvement, she tearfully said she would pay back the monies, the report states. She also asked not to be sent to jail, according to the report.

McCray agreed to meet with the Gainesville Police Department to discuss the case, but after being read her Miranda rights, McCray refused to answer questions and requested a lawyer, according to ACSO.

The report summarized that McCray is responsible for giving herself raises, making personal purchases on business accounts, as well as several other fraudulent activities. The monetary loss to the owners of the business over the last six years will be well in excess of the documented $52,349, the report indicates. 

Because McCray is charged with grand theft over $50,000, she could be found guilty of a first degree felony. McCray was booked into the Alachua County Jail and has since bonded out, according to authorities.