Property manager accused of stealing $32K from Cape Girardeau real estate business

A Cape Girardeau real- estate business is accusing a former property manager of stealing more than $32,000 from the company in a three-year span, according to police.

The Cape Girardeau County’s prosecuting attorney’s office filed an arrest warrant Thursday for Laura Marie Kennedy, 45, of Thebes, Illinois, and charged her with stealing of more than $25,000. Theft of more than $25,000 is a class B felony carrying a minimum prison sentence of five years.

Kennedy remained at large Saturday.

Kennedy worked as the property manager for Thomas Meyer Realty for seven years, according to a probable-cause statement filed by Cape Girardeau Police detective Jeff Lucas. In December 2014 and January 2015, Meyer asked Kennedy to make financial reports for properties the company manages. When she did not complete the reports, he hired another employee to complete the paperwork, Lucas wrote. The new employee soon found accounts were short of money, according to the statement.

The employee identified $10,990 in missing cash from 2013 deposits, $16,965 in missing cash from 2014 deposits and $4,500 in missing cash from 2015, Lucas wrote.

There also was $2,190 missing from accounts between 2013 and 2015,

according to the statement.

Kennedy was in charge of collecting rent through checks or cash from tenants, paying out escrow accounts and paying all other bill associated with accounts, according to the statement. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, more than $663,000 worth of deposits were made on behalf of Thomas Meyer Realty, Lucas wrote.

The employee found receipts made out by Kennedy for cash payments, but the money never was deposited into accounts, Lucas wrote. Kennedy’s computer entries showed cash payments to the business, but the cash never was deposited into the accounts, according to the statement.

The employee said Kennedy was the only person who had access to the money, Lucas wrote.

Meyer said he contacted Kennedy with his attorney present, and she admitted money was missing, Lucas wrote. She did not know how much was missing, according to the statement. She never admitted taking the money but did not provide an explanation, Lucas wrote.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address: 230 N. Sprigg St, Cape Girardeau, MO