Atlantic Beach woman sentenced for embezzelement

Atlantic Beach resident Doreen Goucher, 63, was sentenced to 1-1/2 to 4-1/2 years in prison, with a civil judgment of restitution of $258,731 on Feb. 10 for embezzling money from her employer, a local architect.

Goucher pleaded guilty in November grand larceny-second degree, a C felony.

The Nassau County District Attorney’s office said, Goucher used her position as a bookkeeper to withdraw $258,731 from the company’s bank accounts between June 2006 and December 2011 without permission or authority from her employer. Through her position she had unrestricted and unsupervised access to the firm’s accounts.

Goucher forged her employer’s signature on about 116 checks and then used the money to pay off her personal credit cards and a home equity loan.

She hid the d thefts by establishing unauthorized personal credit loan accounts that appeared to be legitimate company accounts. Goucher also used the stolen money to pay for dinners at upscale restaurants such as Peter Luger Steakhouse, shopping and lavish vacations, including one to St. Martin in the Caribbean, according to the DA’s office.

The theft was found when an internal audit of the company’s finances was conducted and discrepancies were discovered, which were then turned over to the DA’s office for further investigation in January of last year. Goucher worked for the company for 14 years before being fired in December 2011.