Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
A Tucumcari woman was issued a criminal summons Friday on a felony count of embezzlement after she was accused of stealing more than $1,200 in merchandise from a store where she worked.
Betty Lee Henson, 58, was charged Friday with embezzlement of over $500 but less than $2,500, a fourth-degree felony that can lead up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
In the summons, Henson was ordered to appear in magistrate court on Jan. 13 to make a plea on the charge, according to court documents.
According to the complaint filed by a Quay County sheriff’s deputy, Henson is accused of taking merchandise from Dickinson’s Implement Co. in September.
Store owner James Haller said he was notified by an employee of suspicious behavior by Henson.
Haller said he observed surveillance video footage of Henson gathering merchandise from various locations in the store and taking them to her vehicle without buying them.
Henson was called for an interview at the sheriff’s office, where she said, “We do quotes and pay later.” She said she intended to have Haller remove the balance of the merchandise from her paycheck.
The deputy later asked Haller and his wife whether Henson ever made an attempt to pay for the merchandise she took. Both said she hadn’t.
The deputy was provided with an invoice of $1,232.50 of the merchandise that Henson was accused of stealing from Dickinson’s.
No attorney was listed for Henson in online court records.