Restaurateur accused of embezzlement
Sterling Heights suspect eluded police for two years
A woman accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from a Ferndale restaurant is facing charges in court more than two years after county prosecutors issued a warrant against her.
Suspect Terea Scott, 47, of Sterling Heights was arraigned Saturday and faces her next hearing in Ferndale 43rd District Court on Monday.
Scott, who has a lengthy criminal history, is charged with embezzling more than $15,000 from Inyo, a Japanese restaurant and lounge at 22871 Woodward Ave.
Ferndale police said prosecutors issued a warrant against Scott in March 2020.
The suspect last week came into contact with Wayne County Sheriff’s deputies.
“The sheriff’s office saw our hold on her and we went and picked her up,” said Jilliam Mahlmeister, Ferndale public information officer .
Police said Scott worked at the Inyo restaurant, but was fired Dec. 23, 2019 after the owner discovered she had been embezzling money.
The next day the owner called Ferndale police to file a complaint and detectives began investigating the case.
Mahlmeister said the owner told police he noticed money missing several months before he alerted police.
“He started investigating and found money missing from two separate (restaurant) bank accounts and connected it to Ms. Scott,” Mahlmeisters said.
The restaurant provided records to Ferndale police.
After police investigated the case, they said it was determined the suspect had made 54 fraudulent transactions on the restaurant’s accounts
“The total amount of money taken from the accounts was $15,497,” Mahlmeister said.
Police said they interviewed Scott.
“She stated that she had permission to use the accounts,” Mahlmeister said, “which is not consistent with what the owner reported to us.”
Police said records show Scott used the money to pay credit card bills and a healthcare account in online transactions.
Criminal court records show Scott in 1995 was convicted of felony charges in Oakland County Circuit Court for credit card fraud, home invasion, and uttering and publishing, police said.
She was convicted of credit card fraud again in 1997 and 1999 in the same circuit court.
In 2009 she pleaded guilty to identity theft in Macomb County Circuit Court, and was convicted of credit card fraud in 2010 in Wayne County Circuit Court, police said.
The embezzlement charge Scott faces in Ferndale is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to three times the amount of money allegedly embezzled.
She is set for a probable cause hearing at 1 p.m. Monday in Ferndale District Court. A preliminary examination is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 19.
Scott is free on a $7,500 personal bond.