$150,000 embezzled from Beebe Healthcare by employee: Police

A Beebe Healthcare employee has been arrested and charged with embezzlement from the hospital, police said Wednesday.

On April 23, the Lewes Police Department was notified by Beebe officials of a potential internal embezzlement by one of their employees, according to a news release.

Through investigative measures aided by an internal forensic audit, the Lewes Police Department was able to determine that Hope Abram of Lewes allegedly embezzled about $150,000 through various means.

During a standard audit of receivables and payments, Beebe Healthcare noticed a "number of irregularities" involving Abram, who was employed as a revenue cycle director for the Beebe Medical Group, the healthcare company said in a release.

Following further internal investigation, Abrams was terminated on May 3, Beebe officials said.

Also on May 3, the Lewes Police Department executed a search warrant of Abram's residence on Bay Breeze Drive and took Abram into custody, police said.

"Although not an insignificant amount, both our auditors and the police believe that Beebe’s policies, processes and financial controls have limited the economic damages caused by Ms. Abram’s acts," Beebe officials said.

Concerning Abram's hiring, Beebe officials said they conducted a comprehensive background check, including review of national criminal databases and the Office of the Inspector General Sanctions, in October 2016 when she was first hired and then again in May 2017 and April 2018 with no negative incidents reported.

Abram has been charged with theft over $50,000, a Class D felony, second degree forgery, a Class G felony, and falsifying business records, a Class A misdemeanor.

Abram was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institute, and bail was set at $13,000.

Additional investigation is continuing, and there is a potential for additional criminal charges, police said.

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