BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A woman accused of stealing on the job at a Cranberry Township dentist’s office and Hines Ward’s Table 86 appeared in court on Wednesday.
11 News saw Kimberly Cook as she was taken into custody in court.
The district attorney said this is a rare case.
He said Cook lied about a serious health condition that delayed the case for years, and during that time, she was allegedly committing a similar crime.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars from Cranberry dentist’s office
“She basically tricked the entire court system and that’s very troubling she did that,” said Richard Goldinger, the Butler County District Attorney.
Cook was taken to jail after a judge revoked her bond in Wednesday’s hearing.
Cook was accused of stealing $73,000 from the Hines Ward’s Table 86 restaurant in 2017. Police said Cook was a server there and pocketed money by taking cash payments from customers but ringing them up as gift cards.
She admitted to it and was charged.
However, the case was put on hold because according to the district attorney, Cook lied, saying she had a stroke and had to recover at a rehab facility.
“We were basically being duped for thinking she was receiving medical treatment for a serious condition, she went out and committed a similar offense allegedly,” Goldinger added.
Meanwhile, Cook was working as a clerk for two years at Generational Dental Associates, where police say she admitted to stealing more than $20,000 in cash. She was also allegedly going on lavish vacations.
“Very upsetting because it seems like she’s living a pretty high lavish lifestyle on somebody else’s money,” said Erika Morrow, who works at Generational Dental Associates.
Police tell us there were 46 times when Cook would enter cash payments as credit card payments. She also got the job by using a fake name.
“It’s certainly very disturbing obviously because there’s a long history there we weren’t aware of,” Morrow said.
The DA says in the Table 86 case, Cook forged medical excuses that she gave to her attorney who then presented it to the DA’s office, so she may face more charges.
“We are going to open an investigation to determine how those excuses were created where she got them and determine if another crime has been committed,” said Goldinger.
Cook’s trial for Table 86 is scheduled for July.
The hearing for her second offense related to the dental office is in June.
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