WOOD
COUNTY (WAOW) - A Wood County woman has pleaded no contest to stealing $1.3
million from her employer.
Bonnie Hartle, 42, entered the plea Tuesday
in Wood County Court. She was charged with 25 felony counts of theft.
Investigators said Hartle took money from Weiler Convenience Store in
Marshfield during a 10-year period.
After pleading no contest, Hartle was
sentenced to one year in jail and 30 years probation. She was also ordered to
pay more than $1.3 million in restitution. Hartle paid $50,000 of that money
Tuesday.
Her attorney said Hartle had a gambling
problem and all the money she took is gone.
Investigators say the money was taken between
2000 and November 2011. Officials at Weiler Convenience Store say
Hartle was a manager at the time the money was taken.
"This is just not right that it
happened, it should never have happened and it blows my mind really that
someone could do that," said Krystal Richardson, an employee at the
convenience store.
Investigators estimated Hartle stole $1,000
from the store each week.
Store officials say it wasn't easy to pinpoint
who took the money.
"They didn't want to lean towards her
because Kelly Weiler, one of the owners, had grown up with her and didn't really
want to look in that direction," said Richardson.
Richardson says the store is now
taking extra steps to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.
"We look at things a lot more, keep an
eye on things a lot more and that the biggest way I think everything is really
tracked and watched," said Richardson.
Hartle has up to 60 days to report to jail.
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WOOD COUNTY (WAOW) - A Wood County woman is accused of stealing $1.3 million from her employer.
According to court documents, investigators say 42-year-old Bonnie Hartle took money from Weiler Convenience Store in Marshfield for about 10 years.
Online court records show Hartle faces 25 felony counts of theft.
Store officials say she was a manager at the time, and a good friend, which is why they never expected this to happen.
"This is just not right that it happened, it should never have happened and it blows my mind really that someone could do that," said Krystal Richardson.
Krystal Richardson works at Weiler Convenience Store on North Central Avenue in Marshfield. She says she was there, when some cash went missing.
The owners had suspicions for a while that someone was taking money.
Lieutenant Rick Gramza at the Marshfield Police Department, says gas station owners called them last December after they suspected Bonnie Hartle of stealing more than $1.3 million from the store, over a 10 year period.
"Through our investigation we were able to establish that this employee had stolen an estimated $1,000 per week," said Lieutenant Gramza.
But store officials say it wasn't easy to pinpoint who took the money.
"They didn't want to lean towards her because Kelly Weiler, one of the owners, had grown up with her and didn't really want to look in that direction," said Richardson.
Store officials are now taking extra steps to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.
"We look at things a lot more, keep an eye on things a lot more and that the biggest way I think everything is really tracked and watched," said Richardson.
Store officials say they hope to get the money back.
Investigators say this went on from 2000 to November 2011.
Hartle did not want to comment on this case.
