By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

A WOMAN was convicted on charges of taking and cashing a check belonging to another person.
Mary Grace Borbon Daraug, who was originally charged with theft and forgery, appeared for a change of plea hearing with Assistant Public Defender Adam Hardwicke on February 8, 2007.
After Daraug pleaded guilty to theft, Assistant Attorney General Anne Marie Roy agreed to dismiss the forgery charge.
Associate Judge David Wiseman accepted the plea and sentenced Daraug to one year of imprisonment, all suspended, except for two days with credit for time already served.
Daraug was placed on supervised probation for three years and was ordered to submit a letter of apology to the victims, Li Gui Long and 99 Cents Supermarket.
She will perform 100 hours of community work service at a minimum rate of 10 hours per month.
Daraug was ordered to report to the Community Guidance Center for an initial evaluation and undergo and abide by any recommended course of treatment, under the direction and supervision of the Office of Adult Probation.
Daraug was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,138. She will pay at a minimum amount of $31.38 per month for 31 months commencing on March 16.
She will, moreover, pay an assessment fee of $75.
Her review hearing was set for June 7 at 9 a.m.
According to the information filed by the Attorney General’s Office in court, Daraug, on or about July 26, 2006, intentionally took the property of another person with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of his right to his property when she cashed a check belonging to Li Gui Long.
The forgery case was reported to the Department of Public Safety on Sept. 5, 2006.
The responding police officer met the store manager of 99 Cents Supermarket and learned that Daraug stole a company check and cashed it at a bank.
The check was originally paid to the order of a client and when the client followed it up with the store, he was told that the store records showed that the check was already picked up.
The store manager went to the bank to verify if the check had been deposited.
The store manager learned later that the check was cashed by Daraug.
The store manager called the defendant who was working at another company and asked her about the check.
The affidavit stated that Daraug admitted to the manager that she took the check and cashed it.
She promised the manager that she would pay him back.
The store manager reported the incident to the police and Daraug was arrested on Sept. 5, 2006.