Woman who stole $618,000 from St. Charles vet clinic gets 5 years
A 53-year-old woman has been sentenced to five years in prison after admitting to stealing $618,000 from the St. Charles Veterinary Clinic over a span of seven years.
Martha P. Strauss, formerly of the 200 block of Harrison Street, Geneva, is next due in court on Oct. 11 for a judge's ruling on how she will repay some of the money she stole.
She was arrested in May 2016 and charged with four counts of felony theft. Earlier this month she pleaded guilty to theft of $500,000 to $1 million and faced between four and 15 years in prison, according to Kane County court records.
Judge John Barsanti accepted the plea agreement.
Authorities said Strauss stole the money by making it look like regular business transactions between June 2008 and August 2015.
Dr. James Miles, owner of the veterinary clinic, said he had to take out a five-year loan for $250,000 to keep the clinic in business. He said he was grateful to the seven veterinarians and 24 support staff members who remained after not getting raises for more than two years.
“It was devastating. I treated her like a family member and she stabbed me in the back,” said Miles, adding that he believes the total theft was closer to $1 million but authorities could document only $618,000. “She was very convincing and there definitely was a lack of conscience and lack of human decency.”
Under state law, Strauss can have her sentence cut in half for good behavior in prison. Miles noted he still has 3½ years to pay on the loan, but Strauss will be out of prison before then.
Miles said Strauss confessed to him and his attorney that she stole because she wanted a “flamboyant lifestyle.”
Miles said he is glad the case is over but added that Strauss doesn't have any significant assets, so he is not optimistic she will ever repay what she stole, or even a significant portion of it.
“It will take me longer to pay back what she's stolen than she is in prison,” he said.
Kane County Assistant Public Defender Lauren Savastio said Strauss is remorseful for her actions. “She accepted full responsibility for her actions and sincerely apologized to the complainants who were present at the time of her plea,” Savastio said.
“Her genuine remorse was an initial step toward restitution.”