DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A De Pere woman allegedly stole more than $111,000 from her employer to pay for medical bills, according to a criminal complaint.
Janet Maass, 59, faces one count of theft by an employee. An initial court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 14, court records show.
According to the complaint, the thefts from Creative Sign Co. happened during a five-year span.
The company’s owner met with police, turning over a letter that Maass, who acted as an office manager, had written. It reads, in part:
This is embarrassing, shameful, and regrettable information. As you know I have been dealing with past medical issues and bills from my botched sinus surgery. I have been under a lot of stress and anxiety, and it has taken a toll on my health. Once again, additional medical bills have piled up from results of finding my heart stops while I sleep to starting to lose my vision in my right eye. I have gone down a rabbit hole I have never in my career gone down that I am not proud of and extremely ashamed of. For better or worse, I need to come clean with you. I have been adjusting my hours on my time sheet to cover my medical bills.
Maass asked not to be terminated, and said the money was all accounted for.
After being made a salary employee in 2020, Maass allegedly continued to pay herself overtime despite not being eligible for it. That amount totaled $111,170.62, the complaint states.
When contacted by police, Maass said she intended to ‘resolve payment,’ but wanted to talk to her attorney instead of answering questions.
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