Sunday, November 6, 2011

Washington State Woman Sentenced For Embezzling Nearly $1 Million

Sarah Jane Johnson, 42, formerly of Redmond, Washington, has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for embezzling some $986,481 from Driessen Services Inc., an aircraft components manufacturing company where she had been employed as head of human resources with payroll responsibilities.  According to authorities, Johnson misdirected the funds through a payroll scheme which she recieved about $715,000 for herself and directed another $250,000 or so for state and federal payroll taxes.  Authorities alleged that Johnson kept former employees on the payroll for a period of time, directing their salaries into nine different account she controlled.  The thefts began in 2005 and spanned a 5 year period, but were not discovered until she left the company.  Johnson, who plead guilty to wire fraud earlier this year, has been ordered to pay more than $800,000 in restitution and will spend an additional 3 years on probation after her prison release.  Due to the thefts, the company reportedly had to layoff employees and freeze wages.

Read the story here and here.

Read the DOJ announcement here.

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