Katherine Marie Krieger, 30, Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Identity Theft in Helena, Montana
A Helena woman has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for her role in a wire fraud and identity theft scheme. Katherine Marie Krieger, also known as Katherine Marie Waayenberg, pleaded guilty on Sept. 11 to wire fraud and to aggravated identity theft as part of a plea agreement.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Krieger, a resident of Helena, embezzled money from an investment account belonging to a victim. The embezzlement scheme ran from February 2015 to August 2015. Krieger befriended the owners of the company and then started embezzling from their Edward Jones investment account.
During the embezzlement, Krieger made 58 payments to her Capital One credit card account using money from the victims’ Edward Jones account. The total loss associated with the Edward Jones transactions was $109,138.49, but Krieger agreed to pay more for losses associated with her scheme. When questioned about the theft in August 2015, Krieger claimed her mail had been stolen, including a check she had received for babysitting services from the victims.
However, an investigation by the FBI and the Lewis and Clark Sheriff’s Office found that Krieger had deposited the babysitting check into her personal bank account and that the Capital One credit card charges were for goods and services she received.
Krieger was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, three years supervised release, and ordered to pay $236,924.17 restitution. The sentencing took place on [no date given] at the U.S. District Court in Helena.
Krieger’s husband, who was also involved in the scheme, was not named in the press release. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Racicot.
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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