Former Flower Shop Office Manager Accused of Stealing More Than $20k From Store

A Nebraska woman is facing multiple felony theft charges after she allegedly stole more than $20,000 from a Wauwatosa flower shop while working as its office manager in 2008 and 2009.

Sadie E. Brandt, 32, of Omaha, Neb., was charged Tuesday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one count of theft of more than $10,000, four counts of identity theft for financial gain and three counts of fraudulent writing. If convicted, she faces up to 52 years in prison and $95,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

From March 2008 to August 2009, Brandt worked two different stints as office manager of , 7001 W. North Ave.

That came to an end after an owner of the store noticed Brandt had failed to include a $145 check to pay for items charged to her house account within the store’s daily bank deposit, despite it being listed on an account ledger.

Brandt then went out to her car and wrote out a check and gave it to the owner in order to cover up for the theft.

The owner began going through more business records and discovered Brandt had listed 16 payments to her house account to pay for $1,593 in goods.

Six of the payments were paid with checks, and 10 were paid in cash. However, the owner then discovered none of the check payments had actually taken place.

The owner also found Brandt had purchased $1,213 in personal goods with the store’s credit card and shorted bank deposits by $19,835.

Brandt is scheduled to make her initial appearance in court Thursday.