Virginia Bride Allegedly Embezzled $93K To Cover Wedding Expenses And A Butt Lift

A bride in Virginia allegedly dipped into her employer's pocketbook to pay for her wedding expenses, including a costly butt lift.

Police arrested 32-year-old Vanessa Cline of Stafford, Virginia on Wednesday for allegedly embezzling more than $93,000 from No Limits Construction, the Stafford Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Authorities say that Cline was working as a bookkeeper for the construction company when she made thousands of dollars worth of purchases and forged multiple checks to herself, all without permission.

Cline is alleged to have used the company credit card to purchase a $2,000 wedding dress, as well as various other personal items, ranging from clothing and perfume to more big-ticket items, like airline tickets, furniture, and an all-terrain vehicle, police said. Authorities allege that Cline also spent $25,000 of company money on a wedding planner, and used the company credit card to pay for a $7,200 butt lift at Elite Plastic Surgery in Miami, Florida.

The company owner reportedly got wind of what was happening after his credit card company informed him that he was behind on his payments and was in danger of having his account closed.

Cline is also alleged to have written five checks worth nearly $10,000 each to herself, according to police. She has since been charged with five counts each of embezzlement, forgery, and uttering (a term used to describe passing a forged document), according to the Stafford Sheriff’s Office. 

Vanessa Cline of Stafford, Virginia, seen here in a police booking photo, has been charged with five counts each of embezzlement, forgery, and uttering following accusations that she stole money from her employer to pay for her wedding. Photo: Stafford Sheriff’s Office

Cline was taken into custody on Wednesday at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, police say. She was later released on an $8,000 bond, according to the New York Daily News.

Cline’s alleged embezzlement was the latest blow for a company that has suffered its share of bad luck. Cline’s predecessor at No Limits Construction, 38-year-old Courtney Vera, was convicted of embezzling even more money than Cline — at least $150,000 over the course of two years, police said. In fact, the bookkeeper who replaced Vera — perhaps Cline herself — is the one who initially told detectives about Vera’s illegal purchases, Fredericksburg.com reports, though the outlet did not identify Cline by name.

Vera is alleged to have used the company card to pay for things like jewelry, plane tickets, and even home remodeling, according to court documents obtained by the outlet. She pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement and one count of credit card fraud in October, and a judge sentenced her to pay $150,000 in restitution to the company, according to a Fredericksburg.com report.

A judge also sentenced Vera to five years in prison, but the bulk of her sentence, aside from 20 days, was suspended with the stipulation that she be ordered to serve her full sentence should she stop making monthly restitution payments, according to the outlet.