SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Vanessa Khemraj, of 438 Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, was yesterday fined $40,000 with the alternative of 12 months imprisonment on conviction for embezzlement.

Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson imposed the monetary penalty after the convict pleaded guilty to having, on December 31, 2009, being employed as a cashier at Low’s Service Station, on Vlissengen Road, Bel Air Park, embezzled $600 belonging to Robin Low.

Khemraj said she sold two batteries to a person who did not request a bill and, later that day, she made a mistake and gave another customer $500 extra change.

She claimed she was trying to balance the account and used the money from the customer to whom she did not give a bill to replace the $500 that she overpaid the other.

However, the virtual complainant explained, to the Court, that most cashiers use the same method to defraud their employers and Khemraj confessed to the Police that she did it more than once.

Low said she used low priced items to defraud him and, when she was caught, the matter could have been settled at the Police station but Khemraj insisted on going to Court.