Nowaczyk Addiction

Another perspective on Nowaczyk --

Chicago Woman Steals $1.5 Million: Loses it all on High Roller Slot Machines

For over four and a half years, Julie Nowaczyk had been stealing money from her employer, ENR General Machining Co., amounting to more than $1.5 million dollars. What the woman steals all ends up down the throat of $25- and $50-a-pull slot machines. She lost it all over time only to tell her boss, “You don't have the problems I have,” when she was confronted.

The woman had stolen money intended for the employee’s 401(k) programs over a four-and-a-half-year period. The company owners had to take out mortgages on their homes and put up their own savings to meet payroll and make up for 401(k) payments to employees. Nowaczyk had lost it all at Indiana casinos. The owners, brothers Richard and Eugene Szydlo, may still have to lay people off from the 22 person business.

Julie Nowaczyk faces a minimum of four years in prison if convicted. According to her attorney, "It's a business with 22 people. You would think if they were a million and a half short, it wouldn't take years to figure out." [This belongs in a category of "Dumb Quotes."]

That may speak volumes about the company’s bookkeeping but says little about the suspect’s activities. You would think if a woman steals $1.5 million, she would have more sense than to put it all in slot machines until it was all gone. There might be more to this case than meets the eye.