A former Ohio State employee with a previous embezzlement conviction has now been charged with stealing $13,564 from OSU while employed in the University Libraries’ business office, according to OSU police and court records.
Wendy L. Adcock, a 39-year-old former account clerk in the administrative services department for University Libraries, was indicted Sept. 14 and charged with theft and theft in office during the period of August 2006 to December 2006, said Rick Amweg, director of public safety for OSU police.
Adcock entered a plea of not guilty on both counts at her Nov. 7 arraignment and was released on a $5,000 bond, according to court records.
Adcock is currently serving a three-year probation after pleading guilty to theft at her previous embezzlement trial in March 2006.
She was indicted September 2005 on counts of theft and tampering with records for stealing more than $11,000 from the Obetz Comfort Inn, her employer at the time, during the period of October 2004 to March 2005, according to court records.
Adcock was hired by University Libraries, July 15, 2005.
OSU police were notified in January 2007 of discrepancies in the library’s accounts by another employee in the administrative office and found evidence of improperly reconciled money between August 2006 and December 2006, Amweg said.
An internal audit was conducted and led police to Adcock as the suspect.
“She was an employee of the university and was in an assignment that involved handling money,” Amweg said. “She was able to move university funds to her own use.”
Police refused to provide details of how Adcock was able to steal the money or how she was implicated as the prime suspect because the investigation is ongoing and evidence is currently being prepared to be presented in court, Amweg said.
Adcock resigned from University Libraries Jan. 25, giving the customary two weeks notice, to accept a position as an office administrative associate with General Internal Medicine for the OSU College of Medicine, said Larry Allen, a spokesman for University Libraries. Allen refused to say whether Adcock resigned before or after the police investigation began, but he did mention she left on her own initiative.
University spokesman Jim Lynch said Adcock’s employment with OSU ended Friday, Nov. 16.
A trial date has yet to be set. If Adcock is found guilty of the current charges against her, she will serve an 11-month jail sentence for violating the terms of her probation according to court documents detailing the terms of her probation, in addition to the sentence she would receive for stealing money from OSU.
Attempts to reach Mary Smith, Adcock’s public defender, were unsuccessful.
Briony Clare can be reached at [email protected].
