A bookkeeper has been arrested on suspicion of embezzling around $90,000 and stealing $15,000 worth of prints from the Kenneth Behm Gallery in Bellevue. The former bookkeeper worked for the gallery owner Kenneth Behm for over eight years.
The Kenneth Behm Gallery, which formally had a store at Bellevue Square for 26 years, relocated to its new store front location at the 3000 block of Northup Way 18 months ago.
Behm said he called the Bellevue Police on Sunday after he confronted his employee with his suspicions. An ongoing investigation by a privately hired loss-prevention specialist prompted Behm to hold an intervention on Sunday, hoping to bring the missing funds to light.
According the Behm, the bookkeeper he suspected of stealing company funds confessed promptly and admitted to stealing up to four prints as well as thousands of dollars over the span of the six years. Behm then reported the incident to the police who arrested the 36-year-old suspect from Snohomish at the gallery. The suspect was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of theft. He was released Monday after posting a $10,000 bond.
In most white collar crimes, an arrest is delayed until an official investigation is conducted, said Bellevue Police spokesman Greg Grannis. With this case, the information provided by the loss-prevention specialist gave the police probable cause to search the suspects home and place him under arrest. During their search, police uncovered three limited-edition Delacroix prints at the suspects home returned them to Behm. Detectives will now do a thorough investigation before the suspect is officially charged.
Over its 26 years of business, the Kenneth Baum Gallery in Bellevue has catered to the arts needs of more than 350,000 customers.
“Violation of trust is the biggest issue more than the loss of money. The loss is one thing, but the betrayal hits closer to home,” Behm said, adding, “This is the guy who was supposed to be preventing situations like theft from my business. It’s like having a fox in the hen house.”
The bookkeeper had been working full-time for Behm since 2000 and went part-time the last two years.
Behm became suspicious when he received a phone call from a financing company back in August regarding delinquent payments on the company van. He says he thought there was an error from the bank because he had been paying the bills in a timely matter, but when he touched base with the bank he quickly realized something did not add up.
The bank claimed that partial amounts of the payments were going towards a Cadillac Escalade, which belonged to the bookkeeper. The Escalade was financed through the same company.
“He was using the company’s money to pay for his car,” Behm said. “He began to not show up to work because he was afraid to face us. He knew what he was doing was wrong.”
Behm claims the suspect also admitted to him that he had used company money to pay his personal Comcast, Verizon and PSE bills.
“All I can say is if you’re the boss, never relax and always stay diligent,” Behm said. “As an employee, just know if you’re stealing from the company, you’re going to get caught and whatever happens, it’s not going to be pretty. Work hard and earn your money. If you don’t get caught at one job- you will down the road.”
Detectives have taken over the case and will perform an official investigation. It will then be referred to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for the filing of charges, said Officer Grannis.
“I know that $20,000 a year seems like a lot of money, but it’s trivial when you’re doing $3 million dollars in business like my company was,” Behm said. “I have Grandkids going to college and every cent that I work hard for matters.”
Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@bellevuereporter.com or at 425-453-4602.
