Deborah Strong admits she is a habitual thief whose gambling addiction has resulted in her stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employers over the last decade.
For her latest theft — more than $500,000 in Ohio Lottery scratch-off tickets from a Kroger store — she was sent Tuesday to prison for the maximum sentence of five years. She pleaded guilty to the charge of aggravated theft last month.
The sentence was imposed by Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Dennis Helmick, who also was the judge in a previous case where Strong was convicted of stealing from her employer.
"I've wronged my family and my employer," Strong, 53, of Westwood, told the judge. "I'm sorry for everybody involved."
Helmick wasn't convinced.
"It doesn't seem to faze you at all," Helmick said after he imposed the maximum sentence. "That's not true," she answered.
Then why, the judge wondered, did Strong — married 27 years with four adult children — twice before steal from her employers.
In 2001, the same year she started working for Kroger, Strong stole $14,150 from Cash City, a payday lender. She also was convicted in federal court in 2005 for stealing $20,000 from Provident Bank, where she was a teller.
She received no prison time in either case but was ordered to repay both former employers. Strong said Tuesday she was paying a total of about $150 per month in restitution for both of those crimes.
The Kroger theft was far more costly to her employer. While she pleaded guilty to stealing $189,000 in scratch-off lottery tickets, Kroger said last month when she was convicted that the actual amount was $530,000. In court Tuesday, the judge noted Kroger now believes her theft totals $550,000 in scratch-offs.
"At what point do your hands get burned so badly that you don't put them into the fire again?" the judge asked.
In her job at the Westwood Kroger store, Strong was in charge of ordering the scratch-off tickets and making sure all of the accompanying paperwork and internal computer entries were accurate. Strong was caught when Kroger changed computer networks in the last year and auditors noticed discrepancies in what Strong was reporting and what their records revealed.
Helmick noted that after he convicted Strong in the 2001 theft case, he placed her on probation and ordered her to attend Gamblers Anonymous classes. She admitted she hadn't been to the classes "in years."
Strong reported on her 2009 taxes that she had $43,000 in gambling winnings.
Bye Bye Debbie, see ya wouldn't want to be ya.
I just wonder if some of these weak sentences could have been turned to jail time early and then maybe this third theft would not have happened. Some folks just don't "get it".
And now she gets to steal $50,000/yr for the next 5 years ($250,000) from the Citizens of Ohio: The Cost to the Tax Payers to keep her Confined in Prison!
There must not be many employable people in Westwood if Provident Bank and Kroger hired her to handle their money after she stole $14,150 from Cash City. She probably will have a similar job waiting for her as soon as she's out.
The perp is a PROFESSIONAL THIEF...DUH!!!!!! I cannot believe that this person was
able to get away with this and how in the heck did Kroger hire her with a record of theft....unless no reference check was done!!
I'm not a virgin to firing employees for theft, and yes you can usually spot a thief within a
few days of observing them, especially if you're expierenced with the 7-Eleven company motto, as i am....."IN GOD WE TRUST, EVERYBODY ELSE WE POLOGRAPH!!"
I hate to say it but she looks like an ordinary older lady. That's probably the reason why she gets hired. She blends in to the background very well. She probably does have an addiction or she is desperate. It looked like easy pickings and her two previous slaps on the wrists did no good as a deterent. I just don't understand how she thought she would get away with it. She should have quit and denied everything. Hard to prove these things. Maybe the store had video proof. Crime does not pay but everyone else does.
There are a few hundred thieves in Washington DC that need to go to jail with her
........ they keep getting rehired also !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can hardly wait for Nov. Vote them out.
The article indicated: "The Kroger theft was far more costly to her employer. While she pleaded guilty to stealing $189,000 in scratch-off lottery tickets, Kroger said last month when she was convicted that the actual amount was $530,000. In court Tuesday, the judge noted Kroger now believes her theft totals $550,000 in scratch-offs.
Strong reported on her 2009 taxes that she had $43,000 in gambling winnings."
WOW, out of apx. $550,000 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets, only apx. $43,000 in tickets were big enough winners for her to HAVE to file her name to officially collect the monies? I hope that many other wins were under the $100 each maximum, or whatever amount that doesn't document winner's name, before payout ... otherwise those scratch-off game odds are scams!
All theft is very bad! At the rate that payback is going, I think it will be impossible for this female thief to fully repay, with interest, any of these three businesses that she's stolen from. Therefore, I think that prison doesn't make sense in theft cases; unless a prison can employ these folks in Mon.-Sat. F/T occupation that brings in much more $$$ to the state/Fed's coffers than the few U.S. income tax payers $20K-50K/year output (or whatever it costs) that it costs to house/watch/keep these types of societal offenders.
"In 2001, the same year she started working for Kroger, Strong stole $14,150 from Cash City, a payday lender. She also was convicted in federal court in 2005 for stealing $20,000 from Provident Bank, where she was a teller.
Back to the original article .... beats me how she was hired by Kroger unless there was no real background check done on her.
Stole $14,000, punishment: Pay it back
Stole $20,000, punishment: Pay it back
Stole $500,000, punishment 5 years
The judge or judges who let her go the first two times ought to pay Kroger back.
both the judge and the culprit really should pay it back. Why was that not imposed on her as part of the jail sentence?
To clairfy a misinterpretation the new system WAS ABLE to determine the true loss .
She really should be banned to ever play the lottery or gaming of any sorts. Create a black list just like they do for criminals who are no longer allowed to vote or carry a gun.
I think the real story here is how more than half a million in scratch-offs didn't yield any real money.
Reason #378 for not buying scratch-offs.
yep, thats about right.... out of about 550,000 worth of scratch off's she only won 43,000..... thats why scratch off's make the most money for each of the states lottery...... tons and tons of losers and only a small batch of decent winners
......prime example right here....
i agree with ya bro....
This is beyond outrageous. How can someone steal half a million dollars and only get to serve five years.??? I know of people who have stolen 800 dollars or done something relatively minor, drugs being a prime example, like small amount medical possession and them being convicted to 2 to 3 times that much prison time. I am so angry that people are out there walking like this thieving spinster just collecting wherever they can, true, given the larger amount is government/lottery money, but the other amounts are right out business/people's tax money that could have been used to good use, if anything to increase the state budget to have better roads or schools or programs in the summer. I am so angry at this lady and all people like her, wasting our courts time and our citizen's money just because they can't keep their hands to themselves. Hey lady if you have to steal at your job, which many people WOULD LIKE A JOB, and you have one, but still don't like what it pays so you have to steal, I say I wish you would live in Saudia Arabia, they cut off your hand there for so much as stealing an apple. Get it lady, and all of you who read this who are like her, you are bottom-dwellers and you need to quit it because before you know it the state will start giving out very very harsh penalties for these kinds of crimes and these sorts of people. Someone get me a lemonade, before I go get my lashing whip for the societially mis-behaved.
All this coming from a pacificst and a great believer in people mind you, but at that age, dogs and swine just won't learn any new tricks. And to think these people are all around us when they check us out. I say we need WORKING automatic checks-outs, EVERYWHERE. WHO IN HERE HATES IT WHEN THEY ARE CHECKING OUT OUT AND LOOK AT YOU FUNNY BC YOU ARE BUYING SOME FABRIC SOFTENER, YES LADY I HELP MY WIFE WITH THE LAUNDRY AND I HELP HER SHOP TOO, AND WHY IS THIS ANY OF YOUR FREAKING BUSINESS ANYWAY, JUST PUNCH THE BUTTONS, CASH ME OUT, AND DON'T GIVE ME THOSE FUNNY LOOKS BC I SWEAR I CAME IN HERE TO MAKE A PURCHASE, NOT BE CRITICIZED. SO NEXT TIME, UGHGGH,,, I SWEAR, IF IT WASN'T FOR THE FACT THAT I AM SO POLITE AND CIVILIZED AND POLITICALLY CORRECT, THERE WOULD BE A LOT INJURED CUSTOMER CLERKS OUT THERE. I HAVE OFFICIALLY AIRED MY FEELINGS OF DIRTY LAUNDRY REGARDING ALL YOU FOLKS OUT THERE, BUT WATCH OUT, I MIGHT GIVE YOU A HARSH TONGUE-LASHING THAT YOU WILL BE LICKING FOR YEARS.
I FEEL SORTA BETTER NOW. 
SORTA. 
Fabric Softener?
Well no wonder they're giving you funny looks! Men don't buy fabric softener! Men like their clothes rough!
HEY YOU HUSH RIGHT NOW, BC I AM IN NO MOOD TO DEAL WITH SOME HILL-BILLY, OH AND I'M SURE THE RATS AND TICKS LOVE YOUR ROUGH CLOTHES AND I AM SURE THEY GIVE OFF A NOT-SO-PLEASANT 20TH-CENTURY FARMER ODOR-SMELL NO WONDER YOU'RE ALONE AND LIVING WITH THE TENESSEE LEECHES THAT ARE SLOWLY TURNING YOU INTOO WHO KNOWS WHAT!!! LOL I SUGGEST GETTING OFF THE SWAMP RIDGE, AND OH YES, YOUR PICTURE IS DARN AWFUL ON THE EYES RIDGE RUNNER, ITS LIKE THE BEARD JUST.... CREEPY. I THINK WE WOULD ALL APPRECIATE IF YOU STUCK TO THE RULES OF COMMENTING ONCE PER FORUM TOPIC, UNLESS ITS A REPLY LIKE IT IS NOW. IT'S AS IF YOU SPEND ALL YOUR TIME IN THE LIBRARY POSTING WHEN YOU SHOULD BE OUT LOOKING FOR FABRIC SOFTNER AND BUYING YOURSELF A SHAVER TOO, OH AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT PICK UP A COUPLE OF QUICK-PICKS, SOME LICE-REMOVER, AND SOME SPIFFY NEW HAT TOO. YOU CAN LEAVE THE STRAW IN YOUR MOUTH, THAT'S JUST A REGIONAL TENNESSEE-STYLE WARDROBE-ACCESSORY FOR THE CITY EQUIVALENT OF A CIGARETTE OR OH I DUNNO, A MINT.
Well since you put it like that, I guess all I can say is: Well alrighty then!
*tips* hat to rdg, mighty fine answer indeed!