Warrant Obtained: Misappropriating Funds = $109,814.42

OCTOBER 2, 2015.

PRESS RELEASE

Parker County Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Captain Mark Arnett announced the arrest of a suspect who was wanted by the Sheriff’s Office in connection to second-degree theft case.

The Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division obtained a warrant for Geraldine Renee (Bennett) Null, 48, after conducting an investigation, where she was found to have committed 59 transactions of misappropriating funds from a local business into her personal account.

Capt. Arnett said Null is facing charges after investigators discovered she had taken the funds from the business account by directing auto-deposits into her own personal account, totaling $109,814.42, over a 10-month period, during her employment with the company as the payroll coordinator.

Business representatives stated Null began her employment with the company in May 2014, but never had authority or permission to make the fraudulent deposits. Employees of the business reported the incidents once they were aware of Null’s activity. Capt. Arnett added Null had been duplicating final payroll checks from the company’s business account to terminated employees, explaining to management personnel that it was repeated duplicated mistakes.

Capt. Arnett said Galveston ISD Campus Police worked closely with Sheriff’s investigators after we discovered Null had been employed by the Galveston ISD.

Investigators believe Null fled the Parker County area, after she became aware that she was a suspect in the local case. Null was taken into custody Thursday, where a $40,000 bond was set.

Sheriff’s investigators also believe Null is responsible for redirecting funds from employees of the business which were meant to be drafted by the Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division. Null is believed to have committed 28 additional acts, where over $6,500 had been redirected to Null’s personal banking account. That case been forwarded to the Texas Office of the Attorney General.