A 47-year-old Chehalis man was arrested noon Thursday for allegedly stealing about $200,000 from his employer, Rakoz Electric, in the 1500 block of Bishop Road outside of Chehalis. Stanley W. Sigler was booked on 10 counts of second-degree theft, 10 counts of forgery and 10 counts of identity theft. He is in custody and will make his first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court at 4 p.m. today.
According to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Sigler said he had nothing to show for the money and had spent it “drinking and having fun,” Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.
Sigler was employed by Rakoz Electric for about six and a half years and worked as an office manager and bookkeeper.
Randy Rakoz, manager of Rakoz Electric, said the theft appears to have begun June 2009, although it’s unclear the extent of it.
“I don’t know how he did it,” said Rakoz, who claimed he once considered Sigler a good friend and is still shocked at the discovery of fraud.
The sheriff’s office said Sigler was printing about three or four extra checks each month — in addition to his regular paychecks — in his name, forging his employer’s signature, and cashing them for about $2,100 each.
Rakoz said Sigler went through a divorce a couple years ago and had sold his house, so co-workers figured he had extra cash on hand from the house sale last year when he took a trip to Las Vegas and traveled to Dallas twice to attend the home opener and season-closer of Dallas Cowboys football games in Texas Stadium.
Rakoz Electric now has eight employees, Rakoz said. He added he’s unsure yet how the theft will affect his business; he doesn’t expect to recoup any money.
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Adam Pearson: (360) 807-8208
