CUMMING - Forsyth County authorities have arrested a man and charged him with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a local business.
Dep. Epifanio Rodriguez said Friday investigators got the tip on the suspicious activity on the business bank accounts from the owner of James Waite, Inc.
"For the last several months, the owner...had noticed some inconsistencies on withdrawals from his account that he did not authorize," said Rodriguez.
The owner contacted the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and an investigation led them to 45-year-old William Jon Howard, according to Rodriguez.
He said investigators determined Howard had taken $152,684 between May 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015.
"From what the investigation has shown, he used about 73 different checks that were identified," said Rodriguez. "On top of that, he was doing electronic transfers, so he was doing it in small increments and small amounts so that it wouldn't be noticed."
The victim had been using the services of the accounting firm for several years, but Jon Howard had taken the reins from his mother, who used to handle the accounting for James Waite, Inc., because she had become seriously ill and unable to work.
According to Rodriguez, Howard remained in jail Friday morning on a $13,530 bond.
