A former physician’s office manager who had admitted stealing $60,000 from her boss – the team eye doctor for the Atlanta Hawks -- surrendered to authorities this week to begin serving a 15-year prison sentence, prosecutors said.
Tracy Qualtrough, 45, also agreed to serve 30 years' probation, pay $68,000 in restitution, not hold positions of trust or fiduciary responsibility, disclose her finances and submit to spending and credit restrictions, according to a news release issued Friday by the Fulton County district attorney’s office.
Qualtrough had been charged in a 124-count indictment with multiple counts, including theft by taking, computer forgery, identity fraud and exploitation of an elder person for stealing from Dr. Robert Marmer, the recently retired Hawks eye doctor.
While working as Marmer’s office manager from 2002 to 2005, Qualtrough stole from the victim’s practice and personal accounts by writing unauthorized checks to herself and forging the signatures of the doctor and his wife, prosecutors said.
Qualtrough also had obtained a credit card under the doctor’s name “and used it on a variety of personal splurges, including lingerie, teeth whitening services and plane tickets to the Bahamas for a bachelorette trip with family and friends,” the news release said.
The woman used Marmer’s credit and personal information to obtain cash advances and money transfers from the victim’s personal credit cards for her own bank accounts. She also directed money allocated for payroll taxes to her personal use, resulting in federal tax penalties against the victims.
Qualtrough’s trial before Visiting Senior Judge Lindsay Tise began in August, but after a week of testimony she decided to plead guilty. She turned herself in Thursday to begin serving her prison sentence.
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