Danielle Steel Aide 'Fesses to $400K Ripoff

Author claims assistant stole $2.7M
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 29, 2009 6:46 AM CDT
Danielle Steel Aide 'Fesses to $400K Ripoff
Author Danielle Steel and her daughters (from left) Victoria, Samantha and Vanessa arrive at a pre-Grammy party in Manhattan.   (Getty Images)

A long-time assistant has pleaded guilty to embezzling $400,000 from best-selling romance queen Danielle Steel. Kristy Watts admitted depositing checks for Steel into her own bank account and using the author's credit card points to obtain gifts and airline tickets. Steel, who has written 76 best-selling novels, claims Watts defrauded her of $2.7 million and has filed a civil suit against her.
(More romance stories.)

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