Warrant says ex-employee stole $11K from Bee

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a former accounting manager at The Bee accused of embezzling more than $11,000 from the newspaper.

Aundrea Marie Cordoba, 36, has been charged with one felony count of embezzlement by an employee, according to a criminal complaint filed June 20 in Stanislaus County Superior Court.

The arrest warrant was issued July 5, but Cordoba was not in custody as of Monday evening.

Attempts by The Bee to reach Cordoba by phone Monday afternoon were not successful.

The criminal complaint alleges that Cordoba embezzled $11,587 from The Bee from Feb. 1 to April 13, 2009. She worked at The Bee for nine years in the accounting department until 2009, but company officials would not discuss her departure.

"While we are cooperating with the investigation, we are unable to comment on confidential personnel matters," said Eric Johnston, The Bee's president and publisher.

Part of Cordoba's duties as an accounting manager was to work on the newspaper's budget, looking for irregularities, according to information listed when she was a finalist for employee of the month in November 2007.

Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or (209) 578-2394.