By Amy Ledig

Charges will not be pressed against the college employee who embezzled $20,860 from the college over a nine-month period because the money was returned, according to a statement released Wednesday by Director of College Relations Doug Stone.”The incident involving theft of $20,860 in funds from a ValuPort machine in the Campus Center has been resolved. Full restitution to the college has been made. No charges will be filed by prosecutors involving this incident and the college has withdrawn its claim to our insurance company,” the statement read.

The employee in question may have been the former manager of the Highlander, Angela Preiner. While the college has not released the name of the individual involved, Preiner left the college at the end of February, the same week Macalester released a statement about the embezzlement investigation.

In response to a request for information about Preiner’s leave, Stone issued a statement that “Macalester College administrative personnel have been investigating a serious incident as reported to the Business Services Office last Thursday involving a loss of cash related to transactions on the ValuPort machine located in the Campus Center.”

“The incident involved a single staff employee as the investigation currently stands,” the statement said. “The individual who is the focus of the investigation no longer works at the college.”

Eileen Davidson has been promoted from assistant manager of the Highlander to interim manager and the search for a new assistant manager is to begin shortly, Assistant Vice President for Finance Kate Walker said.

Walker declined to give any details explaining how the money was taken, saying that the college did not want to publicize ways in which money could be stolen but that steps have been taken to prevent the same thing from happening again.

“[In] the incident we uncovered, we received full restitution and we’re happy the college is whole again.