Woman Charged with Stealing from Eagan Employer

An Eagan woman has been charged with stealing checks from her employer and writing so many that she overdrew the store’s checking account.

Catherine Jean Gallo, 28, is charged with two felonies: check forgery and theft, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, were called to a store in the 1900 block of Silver Bell Road last Sept. 27 on a report of an employee theft.

A store employee told police that the store’s business checking account was overdrawn, and that an investigation had turned up several unauthorized checks and electronic fund transfers.

Two of the checks, totaling $507, were written to Gallo and deposited into her bank account on Sept. 20 and Sept. 26, according to the complaint. The employee told police that those checks had been in a pile of extra checks in a desk drawer in the store’s office.

Further investigation found that three electronic transfers totaling $1,912 were made to a bank account that belonged to Gallo’s husband on Sept. 22 and Sept. 26.

Officers interviewed Gallo, who admitted writing the checks to herself and making the electronic transfers using the store’s account number, the complaint says.

Gallo, who is not in custody, is scheduled to make a first appearance on the charges July 9 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.