A manager at a Dundee building merchants embezzled more than £73,000.
Jonathan Green was a respected sales manager at Grahams Building Merchants when he carried out the year-long fraud.
The 45-year-old told two clients of the Faraday Street firm to transfer money — without them knowing it was into his own bank account.
Green told the clients that the account belonged to the firm and that the money was to help the firm reach a target and that they would “get a thank you”.
But, in reality, the bank details given to the firms were for his own personal account.
Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court Green was employed as a contract sales manager for the company at the time of the offence.
The fiscal said: “The accused approached two clients and asked them to pay into a different account, saying it would help meet a target.
“The account was actually his own.
“The first client paid £7,763 into the account and the second client paid £65,623.38 into the same account which the accused had said belonged to the firm.”
The embezzlement was discovered and police were informed.
Green later claimed he took the money because of “financial difficulties”.
The fiscal continued: “Inconsistencies in the paperwork were eventually found and he said he would sort it out.
“He later provided a handwritten letter of apology to the firm saying he was sorry for the way he acted.
“The accused was interviewed and admitted the embezzlement saying that he committed the offence out of financial difficulty.
“The money has since been repaid in full through payments by the accused and money taken out of his pension fund.”
Green, of Bractullo Gardens, Letham, Forfar, admitted that between August 1 2011 and July 27 2012, at Grahams Building Merchants, on Faraday Street, Dundee, while employed as a contract sales manager he embezzled £73,386.38.
Solicitor Ross Bennett, defending, said he understood this was “a matter that is obviously going to be of concern to this court”.
He added: “He is a genuine first offender and is now working for someone else in a responsible job… but whether that will be retained following these proceedings remains to be seen.”
Sheriff Lorna Drummond deferred sentence for social work reports. She said: “You pled guilty to this at the first opportunity. It is a very serious offence given the amounts involved, even though you have paid back the money in full.”
Sentence was deferred until August 30.
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