Woman accused of defrauding Arizona church, clinic

Updated:

PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say an accountant is in custody for allegedly stealing about $145,000 from a veterinarian clinic in Buckeye and a Goodyear church.

Maricopa County Sheriff's officials say 39-year-old Michelle Hice is on probation for similar offenses in 2006.

Sheriff's officials say Hice was running the vet clinic's daily accounting, payroll, and bills for the past year through a third party accounting firm.

Last October, the vet clinic was contacted by the IRS for non-payment of taxes and discovered Hice had written more than $130,000 in unauthorized checks to herself.

Sheriff's detectives say Hice also did the church's accounting until she was fired last October.

Authorities determined Hice had written about $15,000 in checks to herself and depositing them in her bank account.

They didn't know if Hice has a lawyer.