Accountant pleads no contest to stealing $7M

HONOLULU (AP) — A former accountant accused of stealing nearly $7 million from an Oahu nonprofit organization has pleaded no contest to the charges.

Lola Jean Amorin entered her no-contest plea Wednesday to 18 criminal charges, including first-degree theft, computer fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Amorin, 70, had worked as the bookkeeper for about 30 years for The Arc in Hawaii, an organization that serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Amorin was arrested last year and charged with stealing millions of dollars from her employer over two decades. While authorities linked nearly $7 million to Amorin through existing bank records, Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter said the actual amount she stole could be higher. Financial institutions are only required to maintain records for up to seven years, he said.

“There were additional losses that we just couldn’t get the record for, but I’m confident that the losses exceed $8 million,” Van Marter said.

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