Preliminary Hearing Set for Woman Accused of Embezzling from Newport Firm

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Monday morning for a woman accused of embezzling more than $150,000 from a Newport Beach architectural firm while she was employed there, according to court records.

Suzanne Denise Baumann of Anaheim Hills was charged in December with two felony counts of grand theft and one felony count of second degree commercial burglary with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crime over $100,000 and property damage over $65,000, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Baumann began working for Scheurer Architect in Newport Beach in 1996, according to the D.A. Authorities say she stole some $115,700 from the firm using three different company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases. She also is accused of stealing more than $44,000 from the firm's bank account to pay down her personal credit card. Authorities say Baumann used the money for travel, concert tickets and online shopping.

An employee at the firm noticed a missing check that Baumann made payable to herself in May, prompting an audit of corporate accounts, the district attorney's office said. Newport Beach police were later contacted.

If convicted, Baumann would face more than six years in prison, according to the district attorney's office.