Utah County woman booked for allegedly embezzling $150,000 from hotel owners

PROVO — Perhaps it's cruel irony that a woman who police allege embezzled nearly $150,000 from property owners should be in the Utah County Jail on $150,000 cash-only bail.

Provo police say the woman, who is leasing Econo Lodge in Provo and Days Inn in Lehi, somehow intercepted checks from the property owners that were intended for the motel's creditors.

She then altered to whom the check would be paid, increased the amounts and deposited the checks into her own account, according to a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court.

The deposits began in early May and continued until just recently, when she was confronted, police said.

By that point, police said there were more than 50 altered checks and more than $150,000 worth of debt.

During the investigation, police learned the checks had been correctly written by the co-owner of the property, but somehow all the altered checks had been deposited in the leasing woman's account at a Wells Fargo bank in Provo.

When police approached the woman, she allegedly admitted to placing the checks into her account but denied altering any of them.

She was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of possession of forged documents and theft by deception on $150,000 cash-only bail.