Edmond City Worker Charged With Embezzlement

Criminal charges were filed Thursday afternoon in Oklahoma County Court against Tessa Seales, an employee at the City of Edmond who worked as a customer service representative for the past nine years.

Seales worked at the utilities division and would assist customers setting up their utility services and deposits. But instead of giving the city the cash deposits, she would pocket the cash. And at least one of those encounters was caught on the city's surveillance cameras.

“We can see on video the customer sets a hundred dollars, two stacks of 20’s down,” said Jenny Wagnon with the Edmond Police Department. “The utility employee puts a folder over it and when the customer leaves she put it under her keyboard.”

Court records state it wasn't until a customer came to reclaim her deposit in January that the discovery was made. The affidavit states the finance director told Edmond police about the situation, who then started investigating, and found almost a two dozen similar cases.

When police questioned Seales about the missing money, she confessed to the crime.  She stated she needed money to help pay the rent and her mother's medical bills.

“She estimated she had taken $1,200 worth,” said Wagnon. “But we can account for at least $5,000 worth.”

A spokesperson for the city told News 9 that Seales resigned from her job in March. She started working for the city in June of 2007.