Debra McCall Sentenced $708K Restitution for Bank Fraud

Hammond, Indiana – A Westville woman has been sentenced to pay nearly $710,000 in restitution after being caught embezzling over $700,000 from her employer.

Debra McCall, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann following her guilty plea to bank fraud and filing a false tax return. McCall also received a 27-month prison sentence, two years of supervised release including six months of home confinement.

According to documents in the case, while employed as a bookkeeper for a local sales company, McCall leveraged her position of trust to steal more than $700,000 over three years. She used her knowledge of bookkeeping software to create forged checks, payable to herself and others, and then canceled them within the accounting system to avoid detection.

United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II emphasized the severity of McCall’s crime, stating, ‘Ms. McCall took advantage of her employer’s trust for her own selfishness.’ He added that such schemes disrupt the lives of many who rely on small businesses for their livelihoods and vowed to continue prosecuting similar crimes.

Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Enstrom of the IRS Criminal Investigation highlighted the impact on taxpayers, noting, ‘Today’s 27-month sentence resulted in serious prison time because she misused her position of trust by embezzling company funds.’

The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra McTague prosecuted the case.