A 44-year-old Simi Valley woman, Tara Elaine Nykoluk, was recently arrested after being accused of embezzling nearly $400,000 from her employer.

The Ventura County Star reports that Nykoluk, who worked as a bookkeeper for T&M Plumbing, allegedly took the money over the course of five years. Investigators believe she used the money over the years for, “personal trips, events for her children's baseball teams and personal items.” She was arrested, but later released from custody on bond.

In California, embezzlement falls under California Penal Code 503. Embezzlement is defined as unlawfully taking something from another that has been entrusted to you. This differs from other types of theft—to be convicted of embezzlement the accused has to have taken something that he or she had the legal right to access or possess. In this case, Nykoluk is accused of taking money from her employer, money which she originally had legal access to as the bookkeeper and was entrusted to take care of an account for.

Embezzlement is often connected with employees who have been entrusted with company funds or payrolls. Punishment for embezzlement depends on the amount taken and is treated as Petty theft if the amount embezzled is $950 or less, or a grand theft if more than $950 is embezzled. If the amount embezzled exceeds $65,000, an additional year in prison can be added on to any prison sentence.

If you or someone you care about is facing an embezzlement charge, you should speak with the Simi Valley embezzlement defense lawyers here at the Kann California Defense Group. There are many ways to fight an embezzlement charge so be sure to contact our attorneys who can offer you a free consultation to discuss your case. We will work tirelessly to get the best possible outcome for you.