A supervisor in the accounts payable department at Hamline University stole more than $150,000 from the school by creating fake vendor accounts and cashing checks issued by the university into her personal bank account, charges say.

Teresa Ann Garin, 51, was charged with three counts of theft by swindle for her role in an elaborate financial scheme that played out between the summer of 2015 and this past winter, according to the criminal complaint filed against her Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court.

Police began investigating her alleged embezzlement after Wells Fargo alerted Hamline’s chief financial officer that several of the university’s checks were being deposited into Garin’s personal account.

Officers later uncovered that Garin had issued or cashed nearly 70 checks from her employer totaling about $160,000, the complaint said.

She also looped her daughter and the father of another of her daughter’s children into the scheme by creating fictitious vendor accounts in their names and depositing checks into them, authorities say. Rachel Marie Latimer, 24, and Zarice Lee Hoyt, 30, both of St. Paul, also face charges of theft by swindle. Latimer was charged with five counts; Hoyt with three.

Latimer is suspected of cashing checks totaling about $73,000 from the university. Hoyt is accused of cashing about $34,000 worth of checks.

When interviewed by police, Hoyt said he had “foolishly” agreed to Garin’s scheme because his family needed the money, the complaint said. He reportedly expressed remorse for the theft and offered to pay the university back.

Latimer told officers she gave the “vast majority” of the money she received from the cashed checks to her mother, authorities say. Related Articles Oakdale man sentenced to 30 years for death of West St. Paul father shot as 2-year-old son slept beside him

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During her own interview with police, Garin broke down crying and said that she felt a lot of pressure to support her children’s financial needs, the complaint said. She concocted the embezzlement plan to help them out, according to authorities.

She added that she pushed Latimer to assist her but said her daughter never benefited directly from cashing the checks, the complaint said.

She also said Hoyt was reluctant to get involved and did so only because he desperately wanted to help his family.

A spokesman for Hamline declined to comment on its loss or Garin but did say she is no longer employed at the university.

Garin started her work in the school’s accounts payable department in 2011.

Neither Garin, Latimer nor Hoyt could be reached for comment.

Garin’s criminal record in Minnesota includes only minor traffic infractions. Hoyt has three convictions in the state for driving with a revoked or suspended license. Latimer has no criminal history in Minnesota.