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Woman Arrested, Charged For Stealing Almost $400K From Bucks County Veterinary Hospital

NEWTOWN TWP., Pa. (CBS) – Police say a 36-year-old woman has been charged with embezzling almost $400,000 from a veterinary hospital in Bucks County.

According to police, Trisha Lynn McLaughlin mismanaged funds and made personal purchases while working at Newtown Veterinary Hospital (NVH) as the Practice Manager from March 2006 until her termination in December of 2011.

Investigators found that McLaughlin's position at the veterinary hospital gave her access to use and control bank accounts, credit card accounts and accounting software.

Officials report that McLaughlin used the company charge card to make personal purchases including fuel oil for her home.

She has also been accused of creating a fraudulent PayPal account that was used to make purchases equaling $16,098.09, over paying herself and other employees including her husband and making multiple unauthorized transactions including purchases of clothes, shoes, payments to Verizon and PECO that were not for NVH, car payments membership to multiple wholesale clubs.

Police say the unauthorized transactions and fraudulent financial activities totaled #355,790.

McLaughlin has been charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition, receiving stolen property, second degree felony forgery and related charges.

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