Police: Apple Valley Woman Stole $334,000 from Eagan Business

An Apple Valley woman is accused of stealing $334,000 from her former employer, Paradise Car Wash, over a five year span ending in 2012.

Connie Marie Rogers, 46, faces 10 felony counts of theft by swindle, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Dakota County Attorney's Office. Several of the charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. 

The owner of Paradise Car Wash contacted Eagan police on Dec. 27, 2012, to report that Rogers, an ex-employer who had been in charge of the business' payroll accounts, had stolen money from the business between April 2007 and December 2012.

The owner told police he noticed discrepancies in the payroll accounts, and upon further investigation, realized that Rogers was allegedly writing checks to herself on a weekly basis. The owner allegedly confronted Rogers on Dec. 17 about the discrepancies, and presented proof of her theft, at which point police say Rogers admitted to the theft.

The next day, police say the owner and other business representatives met with Rogers, who showed them how she issued a check to herself, then void it so it wouldn't appear on her W-2 form. In order to cover her tracks, she allegedly told the business owner she would transfer money from one account to another in lump sums.

At the meeting, police say Rogers provided a two-page written statement explaining how and why she committed the theft. In that statement, Rogers allegedly said she was desperate to pay health insurance and other medical expenses, admits the theft was wrong and expressed her intent to repay the company.

Police issued a search warrant for Rogers' bank account and found a large number of fraudulent checks Rogers issued to herself from Paradise Car Wash. The victim claimed Rogers stole as much as $375,000, but investigators were only able to verify approximately $334,000 in fraudulent checks, according to the complaint.

Rogers is currently being held at the Dakota County Jail.