Major Embezzlement Cases: June 24 - 30

Brenda K. Smith, 37, of Lincoln, Alabama, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for embezzling nearly $129,000 from two customer accounts at Regions Bank in Lincoln where she had been employed as a branch manager.  Smith reportedly misappropriated the funds over a two year period.  She was also ordered to make full restitution. 

Robert Allen Wolcott Jr., 46, and Denise K. Wolcott, 43, husband and wife and both of Salisbury, North Carolina, have been charged with embezzling about $319,700 from Randall Andrews, the president of Alchem Inc., where they were both employed.  They have been arrested on felony fraud charges as well as assorted drug related charges.  Read the story and see their mugshots here.

Ava L. Ramey, 61, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $379,000 from the United Government Security Officers of America Local 21 over a period of four years, from 2005 through 2009, where she had served as a Union Trustee.  Ramey reportedly wrote numerous checks to herself and to "cash" as well as used the union's debit card to withdraw hundreds of dollars in cash from ATMs at casinos and racetracks in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Florida. 

Update (1/7/13): Ramey was sentenced to to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling at least $379,000 and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $379,000.

Glen Guin, believed to be 44 of Minden, Louisiana, is suspected of embezzling more than $100,000 from the Webster Parish Coroner Office, where he had been employed as bookkeeper.  Details are scant at this time.

Update (8/7/12): Guin, aka Bobby Glen Guin, was formally indicted on malfeasance and felony theft charges.  The total amount believed to have been embezzled amounted to $93,000, slightly less that what was originally believed.
 

Bonnie Michelle Denning, 39, of Alva, Florida, has been charged with embezzling $818,339.37 from Easy Picker Golf Products Inc. where she had been employed as bookkeeper.  Denning allegedly made $411,387 in personal purchases with the company debit card as well as 54 unauthorized wire transfers totaling $358,885.50.  She also alletedly wrote at least one check from company accounts to pay for home improvements.

Lisa Winters, 48, believed to be of New York City, has been accused of embezzling $338,674 from Bronx Community Pride, a local LGBT resource center where she had served as executive director.  She has been charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records.  Winters ran the non-profit, which receives city funding, for a period of 6 years.  She reportedly used some of the misappropriated funds to support a lavish lifestyle, including a $25,000 month long trip to South Africa with her wife.  Read the story and see her image here.

Update (4/2/13): Winters, now 49, was sentenced to two concurrent terms of two to six years in prison.  

Brian E. Tyler believed to be of Winchester, Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $111,000 East Kentucky Employees Federal Credit Union where he had been employed as a manager.  Authorities allege that over a period of two years, beginning in 2009, Tyler siphoned funds from the credit unit by setting up a secret account that he controlled for his own benefit. 

Update (1/31/13): Tyler, now 41, was sentenced to one year in prison, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $104,684.81.

Kristi Osborne, 46, of Washington State, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for embezzling $304,755 from three accounts she oversaw at the Frances Haddon Morgan Center where she had been employed as a fiscal analyst.  The thefts reportedly spanned more than 7 yeras, from 2003 until November 2010.  Osborne, who pleaded guilty this past January, forged documents and submitted false requests for funds supposedly for the benefit of the center's residents.  She also reportedly inflated the amounts that had been requested and used unwitting third parties to cash the checks and return the funds to her.

Ryan P. Homa, 38, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has pleaded guilty to charges he embezzled nearly $1.3 million over a four year period from Robinson Metals, Inc. where he had been employed.  Homa reportedly wrote checks on company accounts to a phony company he created and controlled and then used the money to buy real estate, build a house, and save for his children’s college educations.

Update (10/9/12): Homa was sentenced to 46 months in prison for embezzling what is now understood to be $1.76 million.

Marcella L. Arrington, 45, of Ashland, Oregon, has been indicted on charges she embezzled more than $100,000 from Body Support Systems Inc., where she had been employed as a bookkeeper.  The thefts reportedly spanned a 4 1/2 year period. 

Heather Kathleen Denning, 37, of Reno, Nevada, and her husband, Eric Denning, 40, have been charged with embezzling more than $500,000 from Quadrant Information Services where Heather had been employed as office manager.  Details are scant at this time.  Developing...  Read the story and view their mugshots here.

Update (2/28/13): Heather Denning was sentenced to 20 years in the Nevada State Prison after pleading guilty to two counts of felony theft.  According to prosecutors, "from September 2008 until April of 2012, Denning created fake billing invoices and issued company checks to pay those fake bills to her husband, Eric Denning. Denning would then transfer the money from her husband’s account to hers for her own personal use. Over that period of time, Denning issued over 150 checks for a total theft amount of $508,520."

Sheila Kaye Jameson, 55, of Blandon, Pennsylvania, has been charged with felony counts of mail fraud and filing false tax returns in connection with his alleged embezzlement of approximately $1.8 million from EnerSys Corporation, where he had been employed as a Logistics Analyst.  Jameson allegedly set up a phony vendor company, Aries Consulting Group, to which she funnelled money through fraudulent invoices submitted for payment.

Update (1/11/13): Jameson was sentenced to 4 years in prison and ordered to pay full restitution. 

Belinda K. Barnett, 45, who died of smoke inhilation at her mobile home in the Paradise Lakes, Washington area last month, was suspected of embezzling $100,000 from her unnamed employer where she had worked as a bookkeeper.  The fire and the circumstances of Barnett's death are under investigation.  No charges were filed in the alleged embezzlement case.

Update (6/29/12): Media reports indicate that Barnett had been employed by Swans Moving and Storage in Bellingham, Washington.  The amount embezzled is reported to be $106,000 which was taken over a 2 year period.