Former employee accused of stealing over $500K from dental office
The amount stolen was estimated between $500,000 and $1,000,000.
Nov 17, 2025 / COLES COUNTY, Ill. (courtesy WCIA) — A former employee charged with stealing over $500,000 from a dental office in Mattoon appeared in court on Monday and entered a plea of not guilty.
The charges, filed by the Coles County State’s Attorney’s Office, allege that 49-year-old Rebecca S. Gutierrez stole money from Hastings and Havlik Family Dentistry between June of 2020 and September 30, 2025.
In court on Monday, Gutierrez pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.
FraudBuster Predicts – click to reveal
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks” – Hamlet, The Bard
Before the dust settles on this case, I predict GUTIERREZ will withdraw her not guilty plea and jury trial demand in exchange for plea deal. – Bill Hiltz
Gutierrez first appeared in court for a detention hearing on Oct. 1 and was granted pre-trial release with the condition that she surrenders her passport. Gutierrez was also ordered against liquidating any funds contained within a 401k, retirement or similar account.
WCIA reached out to Hastings and Havlik Family Dentistry in Mattoon for a statement.
“Earlier this fall we were made aware that a former employee had been stealing money from one of our doctors over several years. We quickly terminated her employment. We look forward to letting the justice system take care of this situation. We remain committed to providing comprehensive dental care to our community as our families have done for over fifty years,” Myles J. Hastings, DMD, said in a statement sent to WCIA.
Red flags can be significant in uncovering financial misconduct.
A staggering 85% of embezzlement cases involved at least one of the Top Six embezzlement red flags.
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