Sherriff's Office: Woman fraudulently altered checks meant for planning, building commissions

EVANSVILLE — Vanderburgh County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Chandler, Indiana, woman Wednesday morning after an investigation determined she had fraudulently altered checks that her employer had allocated to pay for signage permits.

Kimberly Ann Eden, 37, was processed at the Vanderburgh County jail at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Eden posted a $750 cash bond shortly after and was marked "released" in jail booking records as of 12:30 p.m.

Eden faces five felony counts for her alleged misuse of more than $10,339 in payments from her employer, Alvey's Signs Company, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.

A Vanderburgh County Superior Court judge last week found probable cause to issue a warrant for Eden's arrest on the following charges:

• Two counts of fraud, a Level 6 felony

• Two counts of theft, a Level 6 felony

• One count of forgery, a Level 6 felony

Online court records did not yet state on Wednesday if Eden had made an initial appearance or whether she had entered a plea.

Eden's arrest affidavit states that on Feb. 23, Deputy Ryan Henehan drove to the Alvey's Signs Company building in Scott Township to review a fraud report filed by the business.

Company managers reportedly told Henehan that Eden, who was by then a former employee, had "altered several business checks originally written to the Vanderburgh County Building Commission and the Area Planning Commission for sign permits," Deputy Tony Toopes wrote in the affidavit.

According to Toopes, Eden allegedly altered the checks by crossing out or writing over the original recipients' names that were listed on the documents.

A company audit reportedly found that eight checks totaling just more than $7,200 had been altered in such a manner and that Eden had later cashed those checks at Legence Bank between Dec. 4 and Dec. 27.

When investigators contacted Legence Bank, employees there reportedly confirmed that Eden "was the individual who entered the bank and cashed each of the altered checks," Toopes' affidavit states.

Eden resigned from her position at Alvey's Signs Company after the incident caught the attention of her employer, according to the VCSO.

In early March, Eden agreed to speak with Toopes at the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Operations Center about her alleged involvement in the case. During that interview, Eden attempted to explain away what had happened with the errant checks, Toopes wrote.

"Kimberly (Eden) advised she was authorized by (her employer) to alter and cash the checks in order to take the cash to pay for permits in various amounts," Toopes wrote of the interview. "Kimberly (Eden) denied cashing the altered checks and keeping the funds."

According to Toopes, Eden did admit during the interview that she had altered checks and, on one occasion, had attempted to cash an altered check at Legence Bank — a request the financial institution denied, Eden claimed.

Legence Bank records reviewed by investigators allegedly show that Eden did cash the altered checks, her arrest affidavit states.

"Kimberly (Eden) was adamant that she did not steal any money and (that) she was authorized to alter the checks before cashing them," her arrest affidavit states.

Staff at Alvey's Signs Company disputed Eden's account, according to the VCSO. Eden had been provided checks for payments to the Area Planning Commission and the Vanderburgh County Building Commission, and she was tasked with entering the payment amount for the relevant sign permits.

When Toopes confronted Eden by showing her each of the altered checks, Eden became "upset and agitated," Toopes wrote in the affidavit.

"Kimberly claimed several more times that she was not a thief and did not steal anything," Toopes added.

In mid-March, the VCSO claimed it received copies of three additional Alvey's Signs Company checks that appeared to have been altered, bringing the total dollar amount of the altered checks to just over $10,399.

Court records state the victim in this case seeks "criminal prosecution and restitution for funds stolen."

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana woman facing fraud charges for altering employer's checks