Two former employees of Soft Stuff Distributors, a Jessup baked goods company, were caught with their hands in the cookie jar ? and now they?re going to jail.
Howard Circuit Court Judge Dennis Sweeney sentenced Donna Hester, 47, and Brian Mascetti, 45, Friday to 18 months at the Howard County Detention Center for embezzling more than $88,000 from company owners Lois and Bob Gammerman.
“The most glorious sight … was when I watched the sheriff put handcuffs on her,” Lois Gammerman said of Hester.
The Gammermans said they never fathomed Hester, an 11-year employee and legal guardian of their two children in case of emergency, could steal from them.
“[I thought] it couldn?t be Donna,” Bob Gammerman said.
In the fall of 2004, the Gammermans hired a business consultant to examine the company?s profits and help it expand. The consultant noticed Mascetti, a delivery driver, altered an invoice one afternoon before turning it in to Hester, who controlled the company?s accounting.
Howard County Police launched an 18-month investigation and discovered that between March 2001 and April 2004, at least 278 invoices had been altered or modified.
Police said Mascetti would turn in cash and altered invoices from his deliveries to Hester, who would put the altered amounts in the company?s accounts. Mascetti and Hester took the difference and deposited about $88,000 into a joint checking account they shared with Hester?s husband.
Members of Hester?s family addressed thecourt and praised her as a hard worker.
“Many embezzlers work hard. She came in at 4 a.m., because she insisted on doing the postings [in the accounting system],” Howard County Assistant State?s Attorney Lynn Marshall said.
