A 20-year-old MSU student was charged Wednesday with embezzling more than $20,000 from the Best Buy in Okemos, where she worked.

Katy Gozalka, an interdisciplinary studies in social science junior, is accused of misappropriating about $35,000 during a three-month period before she was arrested while working Tuesday at the 2020 Grand River Ave. location. She was released Wednesday from Ingham County Jail on a $10,000 bail.

Gozalka, a Williamston resident, fabricated returns on items purchased from the store and kept the money from the transactions, said Sgt. Gregory Frenger of the Meridian Township Police Department.

Embezzlement of $20,000 or more holds a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, said Linda Maloney, Ingham County's chief assistant prosecuting attorney.

Gozalka did not return phone calls and e-mails from The State News. Her family and Best Buy officials declined to comment.

News of the embezzlement came weeks after the same Best Buy was robbed by two men who forced their way into the store with a semiautomatic handgun on Dec. 20, 2006, and made off with an undisclosed amount of money. Meridian Township police are investigating the robbery.

The case is the latest in a series of MSU-related embezzlements.

In 2005, former Residence Halls Association member Gary Shivers plead guilty to embezzling $4,500 from the organization's account. That money was spent on Best Buy and Value City gift certificates.

Former MSU School of Journalism administrative assistant Raye Grill was sentenced to 18 months probation and 300 hours of community service last January after embezzling about $11,000 from the school. She also was accused of taking more than $20,000 from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, but the charges were later dropped.

Smaller cases of embezzlement also have sprung up around campus within the past year.