Former Henrico construction firm employee pleads guilty to embezzlement

Like a lot of longtime employees at Waco Inc., a 400employee Henrico County construction firm, Sandra Lee Denis was considered beyond reproach.

"She was a 22-year employee. Long-term like a lot of people here. We're like family," said secretary-treasurer Jim Foege. The company operates throughout the mid-Atlantic states.

Denis, 51, was in charge of accounts payable and kept tabs on about 50 employees who use company credit cards.

But a simple request from a supervisor over a missing file turned up a long-running embezzlement scheme that saw Denis ring up at least $200,000 in purchases that she simply approved for payment.

"We could show that it had been going on for five years," said Henrico Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Robert C. Cerullo.

Denis pleaded guilty Friday to a single count of embezzlement in a plea agreement. Sentencing guidelines called for no jail time for the first-time felon.

But in a courtroom nearly filled with Waco employees who had once considered Denis a friend, Circuit Judge L.A. Harris Jr. ordered the Mechanicsville resident immediately to jail.

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but one year and nine months suspended.

Denis was fired within days of the April 30, 2008, discovery of her scam.

"The emotional scar has been devastating," he said, adding that new checks on credit-card use and oversight measures have been implemented.

Cerullo said he was amazed at the turnout of about 15 employees at court. "A lot of them wrote the judge to tell their feelings about the betrayal."

Cerullo said Henrico detectives turned up expenses for clothing, motel rooms, food and multiple luxury items. At one point, Denis even treated fellow workers to a getaway to Virginia Beach and told them she was paying.

Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or .