Office manager accused of stealing $1 million

An employee is accused of stealing more than $1 million from a Schaumburg-based company over six years.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Thursday that Linda Bessert of Winnebago is charged with theft and is being held in lieu of $500,000. Bessert worked in the Rockford office of Wirtz Beverage.

Madigan says the 48-year-old office manager processed customer payments and is accused of stealing cash from deposits totaling $1.05 million between July 2004 and October 2010.

In a statement, Wirtz Beverage legal counsel Earl Farkas says the company discovered the theft more than a year ago and worked closely with investigators.

Bessert couldn’t be reached for comment. It wasn’t immediately known if she had an attorney.