Davina Gilroy, 45, and Gloria Gilroy, 64, both of Amanda Park, made their first court appearances April 16 in Grays Harbor County Superior Court, charged with stealing nearly half a million dollars from the Harbor Medical Group, a subsidiary of Grays Harbor Community Hospital.

No pleas were entered by the mother and daughter. Deputy Prosecutor Richard Peterson said both are charged with first degree theft, though the daughter, Davina, is the principal in the case. Gloria is considered to have something to do with what happened to the money once Davina had taken it, according to Peterson.

“They stole a half a million dollars and investigators don’t know where the money is,” said Peterson, when asked by Superior Court Judge Ray Kahler about the possibility of restitution. Peterson said if the money is found, the prosecutor’s office would consider the possibility of restitution.

Neither woman had an attorney at their first appearance. After reading their financial statements, Kahler said he felt they both qualified for public defenders. He initially was going to appoint both the same attorney, but Peterson said he felt separate counsel would be in the best interest of the court and Kahler agreed.

Aberdeen Police were contacted in April 2017 and a forensic accountant audited the payroll of the medical group, finding more than $390,000 had been taken through direct deposits and fraudulent checks, according to a January report from Aberdeen Police detective Jeff Weiss.

Weiss said bank records indicate the thefts started in September of 2015 when Davina started making direct deposits and depositing checks written to herself that she had access to through her payroll controller position. He said the thefts continued into April 2017 when Davina was confronted by staff about not paying taxes for the hospital.

Since neither Gilroy has any criminal history, Kahler and Peterson agreed to release the two without bail.