Couple accused of embezzling $250,000 from A2 Auto Glass
A Lima Township couple is accused of embezzling roughly $250,000 from A2 Auto Glass in Scio Township over a period of three-and-a-half years, Washtenaw County sheriff’s deputies said.
Oral Charles Molden, 46, who investigators say did computer work for the company, is charged with embezzling $20,000 or more.
His wife, Janice Lee Molden, 44, who deputies say worked as a bookkeeper there, is charged with embezzling $100,000 or more, embezzling $25,000 or more, embezzling more than $999 but less than $20,000 and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
Oral Molden
Janice Molden
The couple is out on bond after being arraigned Saturday at the Washtenaw County Jail in front of Magistrate M. Colleen Currie. Jackson said deputies continue to investigate Oral Molden, who does IT work at the University of Michigan, because Molden allegedly made a threat when university police arrested him on May 6.
At Molden’s arraignment, Deputy Gerald Wagner, who is leading the embezzlement investigation, testified that university police told him that Molden made “a formal statement that if these charges did stick, you’d be arresting me for a homicide.”
Wagner later testified that he considered it a credible threat against him.
Attorney Mike Carter, who represented Molden only for the arraignment, said Molden was frustrated that he was arrested at work. Molden had been under investigation for at least eight months, Carter said, and was under the impression he was not going to be arrested at work. Carter said there is nothing to suggest Molden would have carried out the threat. He said Molden is a married father of two and has lived in the area for 20 years.
Currie set Molden’s bond at $20,000 cash with the right to post 10 percent. She imposed a number of conditions including that he have no contact with Deputy Wagner. Currie released Janice Molden on a $15,000 personal recognizance bond.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for June 7.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
Heady99
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 1:07 a.m.
I beg everyone to please please not come to conculsions without the facts - there is way more to this story - I am truly begging everyone to back off there are children involved - in our country we are presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty. Please show some compassion!
DBH
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 1:24 p.m.
Good luck with that, Heady99. So many of the commenters seem to feel compelled to presume guilt on the part of anyone accused of crimes without waiting for information from the defendants, and their comments reflect that. It is sad, disheartening, and unnecessary. AnnArbor.com generally does a fairly good job in deleting comments that are overtly accusatory. They have done a better job in the past with borderline or near-borderline comments, but it is clear that they have fallen short with this story. My condolences, as it looks as if you might be one of those involved in the unnecessary collateral damage inflicted by such hurtful comments.
Redleg
Fri, May 13, 2011 : 9:17 p.m.
.......And what's the latest on that Manchester woman who is accused of taking more than $700,000 from Chelsea state bank over a period of ten years or so?
A2K
Fri, May 13, 2011 : 7:14 p.m.
I feel bad for the business owners...time and again I've seen small-businesses decimated by "trusted, almost members-of-the-family" book-keepers who flense the business to within a dime of bankruptcy. I do think that people need to have an independent accountant look over the books bi-yearly if accounting is NOT their forte', but some of the comments on here are pretty heartless. Mr. Molden made 59,900K in 2010 - hardly a paupers salary (I checked the UM salary guide)
Jen Eyer
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 1:30 p.m.
A reminder to please phrase your comments in a way that does not presume guilt on the part of the accused. Thank you.
actionjackson
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 12:24 p.m.
I'm surprised that none of the local law firms have been advertising "We will get you out of embezzlement debt" commercials. I always loved the commercial from a Detroit law firm that suggested "you may have slpped and fallen in a mall" Geez why not tell them which mall had the best coverage with the worst legal team?
DDOT1962
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 11:27 a.m.
I feel bad for this couple's two children.
Soothslayer
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 3:07 a.m.
Per <a href="http://directory.umich.edu/ldapweb-bin/url?ldap:///uid=ocmolden,ou=People,dc=umich,dc=edu" rel='nofollow'>http://directory.umich.edu/ldapweb-bin/url?ldap:///uid=ocmolden,ou=People,dc=umich,dc=edu</a> Oral Charles Molden - COMP CONSULT III, Computing-Dentistry Really?! Peoples names being somehow related to the news article or profession really throw me for a loop. It's like... how?! Sincerely - Stanley Inquisitor, BS, AFCME, LOL, J/K
YouWhine
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 1:56 a.m.
So a guy is accused of helping his wife steal a quarter million dollars. Then he tells a cop that he wants to kill another cop. Only in Washtenaw County would this equal a $2000 bond. Most anyplace else in the country respects law enforcement officers enough to at least give a legitimate bond to somebody who threatens to kill a cop.
Greggy_D
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 4:03 a.m.
" Then he tells a cop that he wants to kill another cop." He never said that.
Terrin Bell
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 12:54 a.m.
Fat Bill: It makes no sense to send the embezzler to jail. Embezzlement is not a violent crime. Instead, fines, probation, and restitution are more appropriate. If you are in jail, you can't make the party you stole from whole by repaying him or her. Further, court and probation fees are expensive and substantial punishment. Moreover, why would the tax payers want to pay to house two non-violent criminals? If the offenders default on paying probation, court, and restitution costs, they can then be jailed. Last I checked the State is broke. Somebody has to pay for one's jail stay. John B: Debt owed to a person on account of fraud is not forgivable through bankruptcy. Further, criminal fines are not dischargable through bankruptcy. So, the victim will get paid in full regardless of whether a person files Bankruptcy. The Court will also be paid. However, people are required to pay housing costs while in jail. That debt can be forgiven through bankruptcy. So, that is another reason to not jail the offender. If the person files bankruptcy, the people of Michigan foot the housing bill. Often times people who have to pay substantial court and restitution costs, will file a bankruptcy to manage their others bills so they can pay the criminal related costs.
aawolve
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 12:46 p.m.
What does violence have to do with it? Someone robbing your house while you're not home isn't violent either, you don't think thieves should go to jail? That makes absolutely no sense. This sort of distinction between "white-collar" crime and other crime is disturbing to me.
tom swift jr.
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 12:51 a.m.
Really, we're going to talk about these people like this? Nice place, I hope to god my name is never in the news!
Terrin Bell
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 12:34 a.m.
I have no idea if the people are guilty or not. However, the law is supposed to presume them innocent. There was no reason to arrest the guy at work other then to be jerks. The police knew where he lived, and had been talking to the guy. Police suck.
Matt Cooper
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 12:48 a.m.
Ummm...sorry, but when you are charged with multiple felonies that upon conviction could land you in prison for a great number of years, you don't get the luxury of being arrested when it happens to be convenient for you. I have no sympathy for these people if they did what they are accused of. But even if they didn't do the things they are accused of, the being arrested is not a matter of convenience. It is a matter of answering to an accusation. Sorry if upholding the law of the land inconveniences tham.
1bigbud
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 11:34 p.m.
Melinda Morris or Archie Brown Again do the crime You get no time Both above need to get out ASAP But we all no that will not happen soon
TKA2
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 9:12 p.m.
As a business insurance provider for over 20 yrs I have seen more of these than you can imagine... Usually it is not a lack of controls,- it is to much trust. Many times it is the result of a sick relative and the money pays for related costs, many other times the money gets spent on cars and cruises....either way there are usually red flags all over the place, especially in hindsight! One thing I hear more often than I see these events is a businessowner saying "It will never happen to me!" Even though it can happen to anyone, regardless of the controls in place, the advice I would pass along is... "Help keep honest people honest - lock up the money and the doors at night!"
AfterDark
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 9:19 p.m.
Here's a good story for you - an owner's son managed a location. Said son was known by others to be in a cash crunch. One evening the location he managed experienced a break-in with no forced entry evident and the safe was looted. Managerial son claimed it was the work of a drug addicted ex-assistant manager who had a locksmith as a good friend. The police investigation went nowhere, insurance company covered the loss. Shortly thereafter managerial son was heard on the phone telling a creditor he had managed to come up with some funds. (Managerial son was a former police officer...)
Mr. Ed
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
Greed is a bad thing.
Mr. Ed
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 1:11 a.m.
AfterDark yes I agree with what you said.
Urban Sombrero
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 9:18 p.m.
I'm guessing you're not a Gordon Gekko fan, eh? haha
AfterDark
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 8:59 p.m.
Especially when it involves paying less that livable wages to employees.
Fat Bill
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 8:53 p.m.
If they are guilty, all they need to do is get assigned to Melinda Morris or Archie Brown; wrists will get slapped, and they can take a decade to repay the money. Like celebrities in L.A.; Washtenaw County embezzlers never get jail time.
John B.
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 10:15 p.m.
Do they ever even repay the money in those cases? Declaring bankruptcy seems to be what I hear more often than not....
Bertha Venation
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 8:39 p.m.
Humph. What a sweet couple! (sarc)
Elaine F. Owsley
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 8:29 p.m.
Here we go again!!! No one is watching the store, no checks and balances, no accountability. Every business should be run with the assumption that making it easy to steal creates opportunities for theft by almost any employee - especially those with access to the money. How many of these cases have we seen recently - the market in Saline or wherever, the ice hockey team person, etc., etc. Is someone teaching a class in this behavior?
AfterDark
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 8:33 p.m.
By the same token small business bookkeepers have to cover their butts every which way from Sunday to avoid being scapegoated by duplicitous owners/managers. It's easy to frame a bookkeeper who is too trusting.
RJA
Wed, May 11, 2011 : 8:28 p.m.
No sympathy here, they both had good jobs and still felt the need to embezzle? Ref: Wagner, I would consider this a threat also. Molden frustrated that he was arrested at work? He should have been arrested and held. Nothing to suggest that Molden would have carried out the threat. Get real, how would one know? After it is to late?