Deborah Wilczek, Embezzlement, Oklahoma 2023

In a shocking revelation, Deborah Wilczek, 46, of Enid, has been sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison for her brazen crime of embezzling more than $400,000 from two nonprofits in Enid, Oklahoma.

According to the Superseding Indictment, Wilczek, who served in leadership positions for the YWCA and the Cimarron Montessori School, had been accessing the nonprofits' business bank accounts, writing herself checks, and making unauthorized bank transfers to pay for her personal expenses. She concealed her theft by misclassifying these expenses in each nonprofits' bookkeeping system.

The Superseding Indictment alleges that Wilczek embezzled $414,951.35 from the two nonprofits, with $139,308.35 coming from YWCA and $275,643 coming from Cimarron. It is also alleged that Wilczek forged Cimarron board members' signatures on checks written to herself and her consulting firm.

On November 7, 2023, Wilczek pleaded guilty to Counts 10 and 17 of the Superseding Indictment, and admitted she possessed a check with a forged signature written on a bank account belonging to Cimarron and that she filed an income tax return for the 2020 tax year that materially understated her income.

At the sentencing hearing on September 11, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Wilczek to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Wilczek to pay $439,749.80 in restitution, with $139,308.35 going to the YWCA, $221,622.45 going to Cimarron, and $78,819.00 going to the IRS.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Stillwater Resident Agency, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Enid Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle London prosecuted the case.

In announcing the sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted the seriousness of the offense, and the detrimental effect that Wilczek's conduct has had on the Enid community and the organizations themselves.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdok/pr/enid-woman-serve-30-months-federal-prison-after-embezzling-more-400000-nonprofits