By Emily Blackner and Lindsay Haislip
News Editors
A former dining services employee has been charged with theft for her involvement in a six-year scheme, which began in 2007, that resulted in losses to Washington College totaling $190,000.
Wendy Sue Marker, an accounting specialist for dining services for 12 years, was charged with 21 counts of theft: six counts of theft, $1,000 to less than $10,000; six counts of theft more than $500; four counts of theft less than $500; three counts of conducting a theft scheme of more than $500; and one count each of conducting a theft scheme of more than $100,000 and conducting a theft scheme of $10,000 to less than $100,000.
The detective assigned to the case was Detective Howard Eveland of the Chestertown Police Department, who is detailed to the Kent County Bureau of Investigations. The case was forwarded to the Kent County Bureau of Investigation, a combined investigative unit consisting of the Maryland State Police, the Chestertown Police Department, and the Rock Hall Police Department for a more detailed criminal investigation.
WC Public Safety contacted Eveland after a routine analysis of paperwork by the WC accounting department and a subsequent internal investigation revealed cash discrepancies. A Certified Public Accountant unaffiliated with the College was hired to assist in the investigation.
Once the discrepancies became apparent in April of 2012, Marker was placed on administrative leave.
“The more the analysis went, the more and more it looked on the criminal side,” Eveland said.
Marker, of the 25,000 block of Heather Lane in Worton, MD was arrested on Oct. 11. She appeared before Circuit Court Judge Paul M. Bowman on the same day of her arrest; bail was set for $65,000 and posted later that day. Marker is awaiting trial at her home; a date has not yet been set.
According to Eveland, the maximum penalty for Marker’s charges would be 85 years, although it is unlikely that maximum penalty would be dealt. The investigative team will continue to gather evidence up until the jury trial takes place.
This is the most significant case of monetary theft in College history. According to WC Director of Media Relations Kay McIntosh, there has never been any case of embezzlement at WC to the best of her knowledge.
“We’ve dealt with smaller scale thefts of money, but when you get into the larger amounts, that’s when you really have to start getting as much help as needed, which is why we’ve worked really closely with the College,” said Eveland.
WC Director of Media Relations Kay McIntosh said that “the College will explore all avenues to recoup the funds lost.”
Additionally, “a more rigorous system of checks and balances has been established in Dining Services, with more detailed reconciliation of cash transactions,” she said.