Three others pleaded guilty in the same case last week.
Angel Sherrell Howard, 20, of Stockton; Leonor Yolanda Villalobos, 23, of Tracy; Jacqueline Villalobos, 20, of Tracy; Devon Laramie Burke, 23, of Tracy; Shunetta Catina August-Holmes, 29, of Stockton; Priscilla Diane Angulo 28, of Manteca; and Mandy Jo Munoz, 20, of Tracy, were charged with felony grand theft and falsifying corporate books between January and April of 2008.
Burke and August-Holmes are still being sought by authorities, who have issued arrest warrants for the pair.
Nearly all the suspects had worked at Restoration Hardware for six or eight months before their alleged embezzlement spree, taking phone calls from customers who ordered goods from a catalogue of the home décor store. Only Jacqueline Villalobos, the sister of Leonor and a friend of Munoz, was not a Restoration employee, said prosecutor Stephen Taylor.
Prosecutors say the suspects would create bogus returns from people who bought goods from the store, only instead of crediting the account of a customer, the suspects would funnel the amount of the transaction into their own bank accounts.
No one at the company had a clue until people from employees’ banks called the store to ask why Restoration Hardware employees who made about $10 an hour suddenly had thousands of dollars poured into their bank accounts, Taylor said.
Most of the defendants have been interviewed by police and prosecutors, Taylor said, but arrest warrants were issued for Burke and August-Holmes, who failed to respond to letters sent telling them they’re under suspicion of embezzlement.
The defendants are due in court Sept.1.
Taylor said defendants described how the embezzlement started with one or two employees, who allegedly told some co-workers what they were up to. Taylor said he was told that when others saw co-workers getting away with it, they decided to join in as well.
“This turned into something like the flu,” said Taylor. “Finally they said, I have bills too.”
Tracy Det. Craig Kootstra said the suspects mostly blew the money on clothes and fast food.
“It’s all gone,” Kootstra said. “Almost all of them said they spent everything and they don’t have anything to show for it.”
In some cases, the suspects allegedly stole the money while they were living with their parents who gave them an allowance. Taylor said the jaws of some parents dropped when they were shown bank statements detailing deposits in suspects’ accounts.
“All of these people have a lot of explaining to do to their families,” Taylor said.
If convicted, the defendants face prison or jail time.
Three former Restoration employees pleaded guilty last week: Clynaee Logan, 20, of Stockton, who stole more than $40,000; Erica Ellerbee, 28, of Stockton, who embezzled $33,000; and Toccarra Smothers, 26, of Stockton, who took $6,800.
Logan received a 16-month state prison term, while Ellerbee will return to court and be sent to prison for 90 days, after which time a judge will decide further punishment. Ellerbee has two young kids and no criminal records. Smothers’ charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and she got 60 days in jail.
Restoration Hardware has since added new software and changed other things to prevent future thefts, Taylor said. All told, the company lost $175,000, but it was insured and got $150,000 from its insurance company, Taylor said.
At a glance:
Alleged amounts embezzled:
Mandy Jo Munoz, 20, of Tracy: $23,000
Angel Sherrell Howard, 20, of Stockton: $17,000
Priscilla Diane Angulo 28, of Manteca: $13,000
Jacqueline Villalobos, 20, of Tracy: $8,700
Devon Laramie Burke, 23, of Tracy: $7,500
Shunetta Catina August-Holmes, 29, of Stockton: $7,400
Leonor Yolanda Villalobos, 23, of Tracy: $6,000
Wow, oh to be a grown adult and living at home receiving and allowance. Can we say "enablers"?
CP