Jackpot winner's luck has been all bad lately (could face up to 20 years in prison)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10564124

Published Saturday February 14, 2009
Jackpot winner's luck has been all bad lately
BY TODD COOPER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

In June 2006, Celeste Baumert beamed as she stood in front of a Wheel of Fortune slot machine in Las Vegas, holding a giant check that proclaimed her winnings: $204,030.

Friday, the Gretna woman stood in front of a judge in a Douglas County Jail courtroom — accused of embezzling more than $56,000 from two small businesses in the metro area. She allegedly owes more than $243,000 to Council Bluffs casinos.


Alleged embezzler, Celeste Baumert of Gretna, holds a $204,000 check from her 25-cent slot Wheel of Fortune winnings at the Golden Nugget in Vegas.


The longtime accountant and tax preparer — whose clients included dozens of Omaha-area police officers — could face up to 20 years in prison on each of two felony theft counts if convicted.

Several attempts to reach Baumert, 48, were unsuccessful Friday.

"Hopefully we won't see any other victims, but we're continuing to investigate," Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said. "We're urging people to check their accounts if they did business with the defendant."

That's something one of Baumert's former clients, Dan Kaiser, wishes he had done long ago.

Kaiser said he and his wife had used Baumert to prepare their income taxes for 15 years.


FULL story at link.