King County prosecutors claim a Lynnwood man stole about $11,500 from cafes he was managing at the GSA complex in Auburn and the U.S. Courthouse in Seattle.

Last Thursday, prosecutors charged Jeffrey S. Stanley, 42, with first-degree theft of money that should have been deposited into the account of the CDX Corporation, the cafes’ owner. Stanley allegedly blamed subordinates.

Arraignment is set for Aug. 25 at the King County Courthouse in Seattle.

Hired in September 2007, Stanley was in charge of the Rainier Cafe at the GSA complex and the U.S. Courthouse Cafe in Seattle. Among his responsibilities were making deposits for both businesses and keeping track of the money.

According to Auburn Police Detective Scott Hatkoff’s write-up — the basis for the charge — Stanley started making the deposits late in April 2008. He said that he had been too busy to make the daily deposits. His bosses asked him to make the deposits on time and it appeared that he was complying.

But as of late October of 2008, Hatkoff wrote, he was still making the deposits late.

In early November, CDX Corporation owner Michael Cho discovered that more than $11,000 was missing from the cafes, Hatkoff wrote. Stanley allegedly claimed he had the money in his briefcase and was getting ready to deposit it. Stanley’s manager suspended him and started auditing the businesses.

Hatkoff said that Stanley told his employer that bad employees had stolen the money and he’d been trying to cover for them. Cho fired Stanley.

Investigators now allege that Stanley stole about $6,600 from the Auburn cafe and $5,800 from the cafe in the federal courthouse.

Stanley denied responsibility and suggested his employees may have been the thieves, but he offered to repay the missing money. He said he felt it was his responsibility even if it was his employees stealing.

Stanley has not been jailed.