A scheming sales manager has admitted siphoning off nearly £75,000 from his employers to fill his own bank account.
Jonathan Green was suffering from financial difficulties when he hatched a plan to solve his problems by embezzling from Graham Builders Merchants in Dundee.
Over the course of a year he persuaded two of the firm’s clients to deposit payments into a new account – actually his own.
The 45-year-old persuaded the victims that the change was to “help his employer meet targets”, claiming they would receive a thank-you from the company for the help.
The first dupe paid £7,000 into the account and were understandably surprised to receive a second invoice from Graham Builders Merchants seeking payment of that sum.
Flushed by his initial success- and unaware that his scam was already crashing down around him – Green targeted a second company.
This time he persuaded them to deposit a little over £65,000, over three payments, into his account, which again he had told them belonged to his employer.
Over time, inconsistencies in his paperwork were noticed by colleagues, who launched an investigation.
Green, Dundee Sheriff Court was told, turned up for a subsequent meeting and interview with a hand-written letter of apology in which he explained he had been in financial difficulties.
He invited his employers to recover the sum from his pension fund – with the exception of an amount drawn from his own savings.
The entire sum has now been repaid.
Green, of Bractullo Gardens in Letham, Angus, admitted embezzling £73,386.38 from Graham Builders Merchants in Faraday Street, Dundee, on dates between August 1, 2011 and July 27, 2012.
His solicitor told the court: “He is a first offender and a family man who is currently working – albeit not in the same job.
“It is a responsible job, but whether he will be retained following this I do not know.”
Sheriff Lorna Drummond told Green: “This is a very serious matter, given the sum you embezzled, no matter that you are a first offender or that the sum has been paid back.”
Sentence was deferred until later this month.
