Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 58-year-old Karen Titus of Lancaster was sentenced this morning before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek to five years of probation.

The defendant admitted that, while employed by Acme Bearings Corporation, she stole $223,428.04 from the company between July of 2016 and June of 2019. An internal audit uncovered that the defendant wrote 138 checks from company’s operating account to pay her credit card bills, resulting in a misappropriation of more than $165,000.00. The defendant also diverted cash payments made to the company for her own personal gain, resulting in a diversion of more than $58,000.00. The defendant was subsequently fired from her position as a bookkeeper in June 2019.      

Titus pleaded guilty to two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (Class “C” felonies) on November 4, 2020. She pleaded guilty to the highest sustainable charges.

Since the time of her plea, the defendant has paid $50,000.00 in restitution to the victim. This morning, she was ordered to pay back the remaining $173,428.04. Acme Bearing also received a $15,000.00 insurance payment pursuant to its employee dishonesty policy. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher P. Jurusik of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions (SIP) Bureau.