A Hobgood woman was charged Tuesday with six counts of embezzlement over a five-year period that resulted in the loss of nearly $426,000.

Major Anzell Harris of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said authorities were contacted late last year about a former employee—Sarah Winslow Sykes, 58—who, from 1997 through 2002, allegedly used her access to the company’s bank accounts to take money. It is not immediately clear why the crime wasn’t reported until 2025.

Harris said Detective Sergeant C. Watkins reviewed hundreds of pages of documents to support the claim from the employer that the money was taken over the specified years.

The charges, according to the warrant, are broken down as follows:

Count 1: Alleges that Sykes embezzled $55,579.29.

Count 2: Alleges that Sykes embezzled $39,189.62.

Count 3: Alleges that Sykes embezzled $72,013.36.

Count 4: Alleges that Sykes embezzled $88,235.86.

Count 5: Alleges that Sykes embezzled $31,638.51.

Count 6: Alleges that Sykes embezzled $140,082.65.

Sykes was released on a $50,000 secured bond and has a July 23 district court date.