Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigators arrested a woman accused of stealing over $374,000 from the Metairie company where she worked as a clerk.

Rachel Smith, 46, of Destrehan, was booked Sunday with theft valued over $25,000, bank fraud and forgery, said Sgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson for the department.

The Sheriff's Office opened its investigation in June when the owner of the company reached out to authorities to report the theft, which totaled $374,136. The owner told investigators that Smith had been employed by the business since 2017, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Part of Smith's duties included handling payroll. The owner told deputies he suspected she'd been falsifying records it came to her pay rate and the number of hours she worked, according to authorities.

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