Shopoholic Goes To Jail
June 30th 2006 05:00
from www.morguefile.com
My name is Legally Brunette and I am a shopoholic. It was the softness of cashmere and the roughness of tweed that first got me hooked. And now I am addicted.
I love clothes. And shoes. And bags and perfume and lipstick. I find suede irresistible and lace even more so. On good days, I will buy from the sale rack. On bad days, I will purchase anything that’s baby pink, Escada or faux fur. It’s just the way I am. I can’t help it.
However, as dependent as I may be on my daily shopping fixes, I would never steal to support my habit. I work hard to pay for my indulgences and I guess that’s why Bettie Jean Barachie is going to jail and I am not.
Ms Barachie, a 39 year old compulsive shopper from the US has been charged and convicted of embezzling almost AU$3 million from a credit union for whom she worked in order to support her shopping obsession.
Embezzlement is a statutory offence involving the theft of money by an employee who has access to his or her employer’s bank account. However, it is often distinguished from theft because it takes place before the employer actually has possession of the money.
After accessing her employer’s account, Ms Barachie purchased hundreds of shoes, jackets, books, a swimming pool and even a tractor. She plead guilty to embezzlement and the District Court Judge sentenced her to just over 2 years in prison.
What could be worse than that? Well, Ms Barachie has also been ordered to pay back all the stolen money by selling her purchases on Ebay. I’m so glad I’m not in her fluffy pink shoes. I’m not sure I could part with ANY of my purchases. Ever...
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