Kristy Lawrence, Embezzlement, North Carolina 2023

MONROE, N.C. - A shocking case of corporate deceit has come to an end in North Carolina. Kristy Lawrence, 45, of Monroe, N.C., was sentenced to 36 months in prison for embezzling nearly $2.3 million from her employer.

Kristy Lawrence, 45, of Monroe, N.C., was sentenced to 36 months in prison for wire fraud, a charge she pleaded guilty to on December 19, 2023. The embezzlement scheme, which lasted from 2016 to April 2022, involved Lawrence using her position to make unauthorized electronic transfers from the company's bank account to pay outstanding balances on her credit card and to make other payments for her personal benefit.

Lawrence was employed by a small family business located in Monroe, where she worked in a purchasing and accounting function. Court records show that Lawrence misused her position to embezzled millions of dollars from the company. She carried out the scheme by making multiple unauthorized electronic transfers from the company's bank account to pay outstanding balances on her credit card and to make other payments for her personal benefit.

Lawrence covered up the fraud by using her position and access to falsify documents and make fraudulent accounting entries in the company's books and records. The scheme was uncovered after Lawrence was on extended leave and another employee took over her responsibilities.

U.S. Attorney Dena J. King thanked the FBI in Charlotte and the Union County Sheriff's Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

In addition to her prison sentence, Lawrence was also ordered to pay $2,224,086 in restitution. This amount represents the total amount of money embezzled by Lawrence from her employer.

Lawrence's sentence serves as a harsh reminder of the consequences of corporate deceit and the importance of accountability in the workplace. The case is a testament to the hard work and dedication of law enforcement agencies in uncovering and prosecuting white-collar crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/monroe-woman-sentenced-prison-embezzling-nearly-23-million-employer