Rebecca McGilp, the Yarmouth bookkeeper accused of embezzling more than $300,000 from a health food store, pleaded not guilty this morning at Cumberland County Superior Court. At the arraignment, McGilp’s lawyer, Peter Rodway, said he will review the facts over the next two months and decide whether his client should seek a plea bargain, or go to trial.
McGilp admitted in a statement to police in June that she stole from Royal River Natural Foods in Freeport, where she had worked as a bookkeeper since 2001. The crimes were discovered when the owner of the business Ruth P. Finch, tried to make a withdrawal from an overdrawn account. Finch examined the company’s financial records, and found dozens of checks made out to McGilp, who was normally paid about $150 a week.
McGilp stood beside Rodway on Monday and entered the plea of not guilty to Superior Court Justice William Brodrick. She declined comment after the arraignment. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.