Bookkeeper arrested for stealing $300,000 from company, police say
Emily Barrera
·September 21, 2026 at 4:25 pm
·Updated at 5:39 pm
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COOS COUNTY, Ore. – A bookkeeper for a Coos County business was arrested after police say she stole over $300,000 from the company.
On Aug. 25, a deputy with the Coos County Sheriff’s Office responded to a business on the 57,000 block of Fairview Road near Coquille after receiving a report of possible embezzlement.
Following an investigation, the CCSO discovered that the company’s former bookkeeper, 48-year-old Maria Padgett, allegedly stole the money between December 2023 and August of this year.
Padgett was arrested on 16 counts of first-degree aggravated theft.
She was booked into the Coos County Jail on Sept. 19, where officials say she remains in custody.
About the Author
Emily Barrera
Emily Barrera is a Reporter for NBC5 News. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Creative Editing and Publishing. At SDSU, she served as the Multimedia Editor for the campus paper, The Daily Aztec, and as the Social Media Manager for the Society of Professional Journalists. Recently she was awarded first place in “College Media Newscast” by the San Diego SPJ chapter for her production of “The Daily Aztec Live.” In her free time Emily likes to read, watch movies and tv shows, hiking and exploring new places. She also enjoys musical theater, dance and pop culture.
