On Feb. 13, when security officers from Liberty Bank interviewed Laura S. Smith, a part-time employee in the bank's Deep River branch, concerning a series of missing

deposits, Smith admitted to taking the money. The allegation is a part of the affidavit that sought an arrest warrant for Smith, 46, on a charge of first degree larceny.

Smith, wife of First Selectman Richard Smith, made full restitution to Liberty Bank on Feb. 20. She is alleged to have taken a total of $47,983.62. The warrant for her arrest was signed by the Superior Court judge on Oct. 5. Smith turned herself in to state police at the Hartford barracks on Nov. 4. She was scheduled to appear in Superior Court in

Middletown this week.

The warrant says Smith "wrongfully appropriated cash deposits belonging to Patricia Pytlik, owner of Classic Carriage Car Wash, totaling $47,983.62 for her own benefit. Smith intentionally removed cash deposits from the deposit bags of Classic Car Wash on 23 separate occasions between the dates of July 10, 2008 and Jan. 26, 2009."

After the bank's interview with Smith, detectives from the

Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad at Troop H in Hartford were

assigned on Feb. 25 to investigate the larceny at the Liberty Bank branch at 151 Main Street.

According to the warrant, on Jan. 28, Pytlik, a bank customer ,told the branch manager that she was missing five cash deposits that had been made to her business account in January. The branch manager referred the

incident to the bank's corporate security division. When Pytlik met with the bank security investigators several days later, she provided them with a list of 23 deposits that were missing and the dates that the deposits were prepared.

Pytlik and her husband are owners of Classic Carriage Car Wash in Old Saybrook. Pytlik does the bookkeeping. Every few days, the warrant says, she would make deposits using a night

deposit bag. She would "hand it to a teller, then leave…She would never remain at the bank to make sure the deposit went through." She was balancing her account in preparation for year-end taxes "and discovered her account was short more than $47,000."

State police interviewed Pytlik in mid-March. In mid-April they interviewed two bank employees concerning incidents each allegedly witnessed involving Smith.

The warrant reads, "On

Jan. 2, at approximately 1047 hours, Smith was recorded on

video surveillance waiting on Pytlik, who made a deposit at the bank. The video shows

Pytlik handing over a deposit bag to Smith and, after a few minutes' conversation, Pytlik leaves. Smith is seen taking an envelope from Pytlik's deposit bag then go to her purse. After that she is

observed placing an envelope in her pocket. It was later discovered that two deposits from that day were reported missing by

Pytlik totaling $3,390."

During her statement to bank security officers Feb. 13, Smith "admitted that her gambling was out of control and she used the money to gamble at the casino."