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Bookkeeper Convicted of Swindling Employer

SCRANTON — The former bookkeeper of a popular business in Lackawanna County was sent to prison Tuesday afternoon after a jury found her guilty of pilferin...

SCRANTON -- The former bookkeeper of a popular business in Lackawanna County was sent to prison Tuesday afternoon after a jury found her guilty of pilfering close to a half million dollars from a convenient mart in the Mid Valley.

It took a jury about two and a half hours to come down with that felony conviction.

Sheila Bronson was taken to jail after being convicted of stealing from her former employer: Cousin's Convenient Marts.

Bronson's theft trial in Lackawanna County spanned two weeks. It was paused for a few days because prosecutors found evidence that she may have stolen even more than the $492,000.

She was originally accused of swiping from Cousin's Convenient Marts in Eynon and Jessup.

Bronson was brought in as the bookkeeper for the business as its owner, Larry Goodfield, was dying of cancer.

After his death, prosecutors found that the woman from Eynon stole at least $100 a day for about three years.

We talked with jurors after they found her guilty of theft.

"There was a tremendous amount of bookwork, spreadsheets, accounting. It was hard to keep focused on it. There was a lot of bookwork involved in this case," said juror Rolly Keisling

Keisling said the jury chose not convict Bronson of the most serious charge but found her guilty of a felony theft charge for stealing just shy of $500,000.

"What made it, I think, the most interesting, and perhaps difficult is the right word, is the fact that it was all in cash. And you can't wrap your mind around that much cash being stored, spent, run through bank accounts. And I think that was ultimately the demise, is that she ran all the money through the bank accounts. So that was her demise, probably," Keisling added.

The Goodfield family still runs the two Cousin's locations. They were in court for the verdict.

"Relieved and thankful, Attorney Lenehan, Lisa Bauer, amazing women who brought all the evidence to trial in a very organized fashion so that the jurors could understand it. We're so grateful," Lorraine Goodfield said.

After the verdict came down, the judge revoked Sheila Bronson's bail. She was sent to the Lackawanna County Prison but will be formally sentenced in a few months.

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