Jodi Hamrick, Embezzlement & Wire Fraud, Washington 2024
A former Mukilteo, Washington, flooring company bookkeeper has been sentenced to three years in prison for her role in a scheme to steal from the company's co-owner.
Jodi Hamrick, who now resides near Memphis, Tennessee, was convicted of four counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
The 3-year prison sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones, who noted that Hamrick 'had a pattern and practice of defrauding employers… and continued her manipulation for personal gain.' Judge Jones added that Hamrick 'was motivated by pure greed. There was no justification, no hardship, no financial need.'
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Hamrick conspired with David M. Gluth, the co-owner of Gluth Contract Flooring, to steal from the company and defraud the silent partner who had put up the money for the business. The scheme involved embezzling more than $400,000 from the commercial flooring business between 2011 and 2016.
The two not only raided company funds, but also defrauded financial institutions by taking out loans without the knowledge or permission of the company's co-owner. The scheme involved forged signatures, forged documents, altered records, secret bank accounts, secret credit cards, false bookkeeping entries, and false statements in declarations and court filings.
The evidence in the case included years of Skype instant messages between Hamrick and Gluth, showing the planning and execution of the fraud in minute detail.
Ultimately, the company co-owner had to go to court to try to get the truth about the embezzlement from the company. The flooring company went bankrupt in 2016, and the victimized business partner was left with nothing but debt.
Hamrick will be on supervised release following prison for three years. A hearing to determine how much restitution she must pay is scheduled for June 21, 2024. Gluth, who was charged in November 2020 and pleaded guilty in January 2021, was sentenced to two years in prison and agreed to a restitution figure of $325,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Dion and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly.
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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