Local plumbing owner says employee stole $75,000 over two years

A Coryell County plumbing company reported last month that an employee allegedly used company credit cards for two years to pay for personal expenses, leaving the business with approximately $75,000 in unauthorized charges. The company, Double S Plumbing, was owned and operated by Stacy Summers and his brother and uncovered the suspected theft during internal audits performed with the firm’s accountants.

The suspect, identified as Jamie Droshe, turned herself in to the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Dec. 23 and faces charges for using credit and debit cards without consent. Investigators said Droshe is accused of charging personal items including furniture, utility bills and other expenses to the company’s accounts during her employment with Double S Plumbing.

Summers described the scope of the alleged spending in an interview with reporters. "I bought her a new sectional sofa, heating unit, paid her water bills for 2 years, her electric her phone bill for 2 years," he said. He also told investigators, "She was making purchases off of my American Express." Summers said the alleged scheme was not spotted earlier because the employee was able to manipulate documentation and delay responses to audit requests. "She was pretty good about doctoring things up when we'd ask her to see something. We'd ask for it one day, but we might not get it till a day later. That was some red flags that we should have been a little bit smarter about," he said.

The discovery has immediate operational implications for a small, local firm. Unauthorized withdrawals of this magnitude can strain cash flow, complicate payroll and reduce funds available for equipment, maintenance and growth. Summers said he hopes to recover some of the stolen funds and warned other local business owners to strengthen oversight and controls. "She knew what she was doing was wrong, and she chose to do it anyway, and she looked me and my brother in the face every day. Saying that we need to get money to put in here, we need to get money to put in there, knowing that she was robbing us blind," he said.

For Coryell County’s small-business community, the case reinforces common risk-management lessons: timely reconciliations, segregation of duties, and regular independent audits help detect irregularities earlier. While criminal prosecution may recoup losses, prevention through stronger internal controls and periodic external review can be a more reliable safeguard against the sort of sustained theft alleged in this case. Local owners reliant on tight margins should view the incident as a reminder that trust must be matched with verifiable checks to protect businesses and local jobs.