June 26, 2020  |  02:10 pm

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested the acting office manager of a Slidell-area apartment complex for theft after it was discovered she embezzled a large sum of money.

In January 2020, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a large embezzlement from a Slidell-area apartment complex. 

Between January and September of 2019, Terri Smith (DOB 6/29/1971) of Pearl River was the acting office manager in charge of overseeing and depositing rent payments made by tenants. 

A forensic audit of the of the company’s finances showed $86,968.50 in missing cash, which was intended as rent payments made by tenants. 

Through several months of investigation, detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Division were able to develop probable cause to believe Smith stole the cash, and on Tuesday (June 23), detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Smith.

Thursday (June 25) Smith turned herself into authorities and was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on one count of LRS 14:67.B.1 Theft Over $25,000.