A woman claims a St. Clair County man stole nearly $200,000 from her.
Briana Dixon filed a lawsuit Feb. 26 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Eric T. Woodside.
In her complaint, Dixon alleges she hired Woodside to provide administrative support for her and her business in January 2009. Since then, she believed Woodside had been paying her bills every month, establishing a retirement account with ING Financial Services, filing tax returns each year and distributing income and funds, according to the complaint.
However, in 2011, the Internal Revenue Service contacted Dixon, saying that it had no record of her filing taxes since 2009, the suit states.
Dixon confronted Woodside to question him, and he admitted to keeping much of the money for personal use, according to the complaint. In the two years of working for Dixon, Woodside embezzled $172,000, the suit states.
Dixon alleges conversion, fraud and breach of contract against Woodside.
In addition to the money she claims he took from her, Dixon is seeking interest, attorney’s fees, costs and other relief the court deems just.
She is being represented by Lloyd M. Cueto of The Law Office of Lloyd M. Cueto in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 14-L-173.