Jennifer Sue Whiteford, Wire Fraud, Montana 2024

A woman who admitted embezzling money from her employer has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $95,001 restitution in Montana.

Missoula—Jennifer Sue Whiteford, 48, pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the sentencing.

The government alleged in court documents that Whiteford worked as a bookkeeper for Darryl's Tire and Service Center, located near Vaughn. From about 2017 and continuing through June 2022, Whiteford stole money from the business to pay for personal expenses without DTSC's authorization.

Whiteford wrote checks to herself from the business accounts and then changed the names of the payees in the accounting software to make it look like the embezzled funds were going to pay legitimate business expenses. In addition, Whiteford skimmed cash deposits from the company by taking cash that was supposed to be deposited into DTSC's bank account and instead deposited the cash into her personal account.

In total, Whiteford embezzled between $88,000 and $139,000 from the company. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case, and the FBI conducted the investigation.

The embezzlement case is a stark reminder of the importance of internal controls and accounting procedures. Business owners and managers must be vigilant in ensuring that their employees are not stealing from them.

The sentencing comes as a relief to the owners of Darryl's Tire and Service Center, who had been victimized by Whiteford's actions. They are hopeful that the restitution will help them recover some of the losses they suffered.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/great-falls-woman-sentenced-prison-embezzling-employer