Apr.24, 2010, 6:30 a.m.

A woman who served time in federal prison for money laundering and bank fraud in another state was arrested Friday by sheriff's officials on charges of grand theft, forgery and uttering false instruments.

Pamela J. Griffin, 56, was led to a Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy's car at the Silver Springs Shores District Office by Detective Greg Spicher and Cpl. Tim Andrews.

The 56-year-old wife, mother and grandmother first turned her head away, then held her hands up saying she was innocent.

Griffin was booked into the Marion County Jail for one count of grand theft, 21 counts of forgery and 21 counts of uttering a forged instrument.

Her bond was set at $45,000.

Records indicate Griffin served five years in Alderson Federal Prison in Ohio for money laundering and bank fraud. In 2005, she was released and placed on probation, which ended six months ago.

Spicher said Griffin had been writing unauthorized checks to herself and her husband's business - Bracale & Associates - from the company she worked for from December 2008 through March 25.

In total, Spicher said, she pocketed $53,200.

Griffin told the official she wanted to provide a better life for her husband, and she regrets doing it.

"I'm beside myself. I'm in shock. I had no idea what was going on," said her husband, Londy J. Bracale, 66, when reached by phone.

With 43 charges hanging over his wife's head, he said he will stand by her side.

"I did it once, and I'm going to do everything to get her out," he said.

On April 16, Spicher said he was contacted by a deputy about a fraud and theft case and went to the business, Florida Properties of Ocala Inc., at 3725 S.E. 58th Ave.

There, Robert Beck and co-owner Denver Beck - father and son, respectively - said they discovered Griffin had written checks to herself and her husband and would deposit them into her personal account.

Griffin also worked for a second business owned by the Becks, Investment Company of Florida LLC.

The men said Griffin was not permitted to write checks or sign their names on them.

The detective compared signatures on copies of checks to their driver's licenses, but they did not match.

Spicher discovered Griffin wrote the checks and entered them into a ledger as being written to another company.

The detective said Griffin's husband had nothing to do with her actions.