ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A St. Louis County business owner discovered that an accountant had misused $40,000 in company funds on personal purchases and rent payments while covering the books during her vacation.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Adina Houska, 37, with 15 felony counts of fraudulent use of a credit/debit device after a lengthy investigation.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Houska took a vacation for several weeks in the summer of 2023. During her absence, the business owner kept tracks of the books and discovered tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized transactions.

Investigators say the first red flag came when the business owner noticed that Houska used the company’s corporate account with Amazon to order merchandise that was delivered to her home address.

A deeper investigation revealed that Houska used three company credit cards at several locations within the St. Louis region and for online purchases. Records indicated transactions at Amazon, Aldi, Target, Qdoba, Lion’s Choice and several other businesses.

Court documents allege that Houska also used two corporate credits cards to pay her monthly rent on eight occasions, with transactions ranging from $1,700 to $3,700 per payment.

Houska is accused of making at least $40,000 in unauthorized transactions from November 2021 to June 2023, according to investigators.

Charges were formally filed on Wednesday after Houska turned herself in to authorities last week, according to court documents. While the name of her employer was not disclosed, court records state that Houska worked at the company for several years.

Houska has a criminal setting hearing scheduled for Jan. 8, 2025, according to online Missouri court records.