March 7, 2024
An Elk City woman has been charged in Beckham County after being accused of stealing checks from her employer and cashing them for a large sum.
According to court records 31-year-old Kayla Shanae Smith was charged February 26 with one count of 2nd degree burglary and 31 counts of second degree forgery after she allegedly broke into her bosses office and stole the checks while employed at an Elk City hotel.
The affidavit stated the manager of the hotel was made aware of the suspicious checks by the bank where the checks were cashed at. It stated that the first check was cashed in October 2022, and in total 31 checks were chased for a total of $18,299.12.
Police were provided a cell phone video recorded by the manager of him confronting the defendant about the missing checks. The affidavit said that she would allegedly admit to the crime and had asked the manager to not press charges – saying she would work off the debt.
Police said that during an inspection of the general manager’s office, they would note what appeared to pry marks on the office’s door, indicating a forced entry.
Bond for Smith was set at $25,000.
Her next court date is scheduled for March 18.
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