Dentist sues ex-employee over credit card theft

An Indiana dentist is suing his former office manager and her ex-husband in an effort to reclaim some of the more than $100,000 the woman charged on company credit cards, reports the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

The lawsuit seeks the recovery of the money stolen and more than $200,000 in interest and damages from Cindy Abbott and her ex-husband, Rodney Abbott, according to the news story. Abbott is currently serving a six-month sentence in jail and was ordered to pay more than $200,000 in restitution to Thomas Brunner, D.D.S., after she pleaded guilty to theft and two counts of fraud.

According to court documents and testimony, Abbott used the dental practice's credit cards to make a series of purchases that could not be reasonably linked to the practice -- such as CDs, dog treats, clothing, and food -- in amounts totaling more than $130,000. She also used the credit cards for cash advances of at least $51,000.

She was also accused of stealing more than $160,000 in cash receipts from the dental office, the Journal Gazette reported.