By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


It will be more than two and a half years between the time a Pinckney woman was charged with embezzling from a small electrical company and a trial being held.

Tracey Lynn Sindlinger was charged in August of 2018 with ten counts involving her alleged embezzlement from Stein Electric in Manchester. Numerous adjournments have taken place in the intervening time, with a trial last set to start this past Monday. However, court records show it is now delayed until March 29th of 2021. Steven Hiller, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Washtenaw County, told WHMI that the latest delay was due to COVID-19 public health restrictions.

Sindlinger was charged after Michigan State Police at the Brighton Post conducted an investigation, which reportedly uncovered an embezzlement scheme that occurred over a three year period, beginning in 2015. Sindlinger was the company accountant at the small family owned business. After she was terminated, authorities say the owners went through records and noticed discrepancies. An investigation commenced, which resulted in the criminal charges and an arrest warrant being issued for Sindlinger, who remains free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.