LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A business management firm employee stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from late Hollywood icon Charlton Heston and famed television producer Stephen J. Cannell, prosecutors have said.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's office said on Monday Sharon Walker, 56, embezzled more than 157,000 dollars from Heston, who died on April 5 aged 84, and 567,000 from Cannell, creator of shows such as "The Rockford Files" and "The A-Team."

The prosecutors office said Walker was arrested on Monday and charged with two counts of grand theft by embezzlement, three counts of forgery and five counts of filing false tax returns.

A statement said Walker, an account manager at the firm that employed her, forged signatures to pay her credit card debt.

Prosecutor allege Walker stole a total of 725,466 dollars. If convicted she faces up to 11 years in state prison.

Source: AP