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Ex-hotel employee arrested after failing to pay restitution
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Posted on Oct 24 2006
The former general cashier of Hyatt Regency Hotel who was convicted in 1995 for stealing $94,041.89 from the hotel was arrested yesterday after the government moved to revoke her probation.
Serenade Mereb, 41, was brought to the Superior Court for a bail hearing.
Presiding Judge Robert Naraja imposed a $50 cash plus $450 unsecured bond for the temporary release of Mereb.
Naraja set a review hearing for Oct. 31.
Assistant Attorney General John Aguon asked the court to issue an order revoking Mereb’s probation on the grounds that she has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of her probation.
Aguon said the defendant has failed to pay restitution of $83,381 to the American International Underwriters and $6,043 to Hyatt Regency Hotel by the end of her probation period.
Court records show that on Dec. 15, 1995 Mereb pleaded guilty to theft. She was subsequently sentenced to one year in prison, all suspended except six months.
She was placed on 10 years probation.
The court then ordered Mereb to pay $84,041.89 to American International Underwriters and $10,000 to Hyatt. She was required to pay $200 per month as restitution.
According to court documents, between Nov. 1, 1994 and Jan. 5, 1995, Mereb withheld cash receipts in $94,041.89 from Hyatt, while employed as the general cashier for the hotel.
Mereb would steal cash receipts and then deposit checks made to the hotel without recording them until later so that actual deposits equaled the recorded receipts.
In July 1999, the AGO also sought the revocation of the defendant’s probation for failure to pay the restitution.
In October 2003, the AGO and the defendant agreed to request the court to modify the probation and sentence in order for her to pay.
