A Michigan woman working as an office manager for a roofing contractor has been arraigned on charges of embezzlement after allegedly stealing from her employer.

According to a release from Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office, Kendra Marie Lewis, 41, of Redford, Mich., was charged in the 14A-3 District Court of Washtenaw County and arraigned on one count of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony; and two counts of failure to file taxes, five-year felonies.

Online court records show a $5,000 personal recognizance bond was set for Lewis on Dec. 13.

The Department of Attorney General alleges that Lewis embezzled about $176,653 in 2020 and 2021 while employed as the office manager of Big Ike’s Roofing Co., located in Whitmore Lake. The company owner discovered the embezzlement when a new office manager was hired at his company.

Lewis is said to have embezzled by writing checks payable to herself and recorded them in the business checkbook ledger as being payable to various business vendors for significantly less amounts.

Based on her criminal record, the attorney general is charging Lewis as a “habitual offender.”

“Those who steal from small businesses not only hurt the owners of those establishments, but also harm consumers by driving up the cost of doing business in our state,” said Nessel. “I will not hesitate to prosecute those who break the law.”

A probable cause conference is scheduled for Dec. 22 at 9 a.m.

Want to prevent fraud in your own business? National Roofing Partners shared its story of how it discovered more than $1 million stolen from the company and how contractors can prevent the same from happening to them.