Bookkeeper admits stealing more than $1M from ex-employer

FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) - A bookkeeper has admitted stealing more than $1 million from her former employer.

Monmouth County prosecutors say Virginia DeBerri pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking.

The 52-year-old Brick woman forged more than 500 company checks over a five-year period and deposited them into her personal bank account. She also increased her own salary by manipulating the company’s payroll without authorization.

DeBerri’s plea deal calls for her to receive a seven-year state prison term when she’s sentenced later this year.