Employee allegedly embezzles $200,000 from local dental practice

According to C & G News, Kimberly Monette, a 38-year-old former employee of a Berkley, Michigan dental practice, was arrested for allegedly embezzling more than $200,000 from the office over a seven-year period from 2015 to 2022.[2] Monette worked in a position that gave her access to the practice’s finances and patient payments, allowing her to manipulate records and divert funds for her own use.[2] The article reports that investigators believe the theft accumulated gradually, with many thousands of dollars taken through repeated, smaller acts that went unnoticed until patterns emerged.[2]

The scheme came to light when the practice owners and law enforcement uncovered discrepancies between what the dental office’s records showed and what was actually deposited into the bank, triggering a deeper investigation.[2] As the evidence mounted, Monette was arrested on January 18 and arraigned in the 44th District Court, where she was charged with two felony counts: embezzlement of $100,000 or more, and embezzlement of $50,000 or more but less than $100,000.[2] The case illustrates how long-term embezzlement can occur when a trusted employee has both control over financial processes and insufficient oversight, underscoring the importance for practice owners to regularly review bank statements, reconcile collections to deposits, and separate financial duties so that no single staff member can both handle money and control the accounting records.[1][4][9]