By John Dobberstein, Editor
A woman prosecutors said used her trusted position at a company to embezzle money for more than a decade was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 3 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release.
Christine Fletcher, 62, was issued the sentence by U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill for charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. In addition to prison time, Fletcher was ordered to pay restitution of $2.1 million to the victim and $549,964 to the IRS.
According to court documents, Fletcher was a “trusted assistant” for over 38 years and worked directly for the business owner. Prosecutors said Fletcher had access to several bank accounts and was often included in family affairs, but took advantage of her position by repeatedly embezzling funds for nearly 10 years.
Fletcher deposited funds into her personal accounts and paid personal credit card bills by forging the owner’s deceased spouse’s signature on hundreds of checks, her indictment alleged. Fletcher admitted that her motives were based solely on greed and she further admitted to agents that until she was confronted by the owner and fired, she had no idea how much she had stolen, prosecutors said.
Fletcher pled guilty in March 2023 and agreed that the restitution may not be discharged in any bankruptcy proceeding. Fletcher was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The IRS Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple and Thomas E. Buscemi prosecuted the case.
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