Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A former office manager accused of embezzling more than $176,000 from a roofing company in Whitmore Lake has entered a plea.

42-year-old Kendra Lewis recently pleaded no contest to embezzlement by an agent of $50,000-$100,000 and two counts of making/permitting a false tax return. The agreement also includes a restitution order

The Department of Attorney General prosecuted Lewis for embezzling approximately $176,653 in 2020 and 2021 while employed as the office manager of Big Ike’s Roofing Company in Whitmore Lake.

The owner of the company discovered that Lewis was embezzling when a new office manager was hired at his company. The Department says Lewis wrote checks payable to herself and recorded them in the business checkbook ledger as being payable to various business vendors for significantly smaller sums.

Lewis has agreed to a restitution order of $176,653 to her former employer’s estate and $20,810 to the Michigan Department of Treasury for 2020-2021 taxes, penalties, and interest. Approximately $48,000 was seized from Lewis’ home during the investigation, and Lewis has agreed to forfeit that sum toward outstanding restitution.

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced August 28th in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.