A mother and son were arrested Monday on a total of 21 felonies after they allegedly stole money from their employer in Macon for a decade, authorities said.
Eva Rebecca Wells, 72, and Billy Lee Wells, 44, are accused of stealing a total of $3.6 million from Mid Georgia Sales Co. off San Carlos Drive, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The investigation began on June 26 after the sheriff’s office was contacted by the company, which is a wholesale distributor of beer, wine and spirits, about money that was missing from its bank account, the release said. The alleged theft took place between 2009 and 2019.
The duo are accused of cashing more than 1,400 fraudulent checks, according to arrest warrants obtained by Macon-based news station WMAZ-TV. Eva Wells was the company's office manager, while Billy Wells was a manager and supervisor.
The company has also filed a civil lawsuit against the mother and son, the news station reported. It alleges that Rebecca Wells was authorized to “stamp” the signature of the company’s president and CEO on checks, so she would use the stamp to write checks to herself and her son.
Company officials met the two in May, and they allegedly claimed they didn’t have the money or assets to repay the missing funds. The lawsuit, which was filed in June, asks for an injunction to stop the pair from moving their money or disposing of assets, WMAZ-TV reported.
Billy Wells was charged with 11 counts of felony theft by taking, while Eva Wells faces 10 counts of felony theft by taking, the release said. Billy Wells remains in the Bibb jail on a $1,844,700 bond, while his mother was released on a $130,330 bond, jail records show.
Anyone with more information on this incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 478-751-7500 or CrimeStoppers at 1-877-682-7463.
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