A former employee of Abacus Premier Property Management in Santa Maria was sentenced to a year in jail for embezzling $163,750 from her former employer, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced on Jan. 11.

The former Abacus bookkeeper, Melissa Reynoso, pled to one count of grand theft by embezzlement and one count of preparing false documentary evidence as well as special allegations that she stole more than $100,000.

As part of her job, she wrote checks to vendors and prepared a monthly reconciliation of the company’s bank account. Reynoso deposited checks from her company’s account directly into her bank account and would make it appear that they were written to legitimate vendors.

The case was investigated by the Santa Maria Police Department and District Attorney Supervising Investigator Chris Clement. Reynoso will begin serving her sentence on Jan. 13 and her next court date is Feb. 25 for a restitution hearing.

• Contact Alex Kacik at kacik@pacbiztimes.com.