Sherry Lynn Gatke

WARSAW — A manager who stole approximately $88,185 while working at one of the Wilby’s stores in the county has been arrested.

Sherry Lynn Gatke, 38, 504 W. Center St., Warsaw, was arrested Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 29, and booked in the Kosciusko County Jail. Three charges of theft, all level 6 felonies, have been filed in Kosciusko Superior Court 1. She is being held on $5,250 surety and cash bond.

Police meet with Wilby’s President Scott Williams and General Manager Pamela Maynard Aug. 10, after shortages in the financial records of one store were found between July 2016 and July 2017. Police were advised the manager for that shift at the end of the day runs a daily tape of all transactions from all registers. That information is entered onto a financial form under different categories of items sold. The manager then initials the form. Williams stated he found through comparing daily tapes to computer entries of taxable goods, there were money shortages.

Williams informed police the shortages were found on forms initialed by Gatke and were occurring only on her work days. He reported shortages totaling $88,185 were found in a year’s time. Documents were provided showing police the amount stolen by the month and by the day, and documented the total amount of stolen money.

He further told police during May 2017, there was $8,011 stolen. In June 2017 there was $11,250 stolen and in July there was $11,330 stolen.

Gatke admitted to police she had been stealing money from taxable items and changing the numbers for approximately one year. She originally took smaller amounts at first and the amounts increased later. The money stolen would be used to pay bills and give to her son who was incarcerated. Toward the end of her employment she was taking money every day she worked.