Lois Soito, Wire Fraud, Idaho 2020

In a shocking turn of events, Lois Soito, a 60-year-old woman from Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

According to court records, Soito worked in the accounts receivable department for the Saint Alphonsus Health System (SAHS) in Boise for 22 years. During her tenure, she had access to money raised at the Festival of Trees.

Instead of depositing the checks into the appropriate account, Soito kept them for herself. She then fraudulently deposited some of the checks into a bank account used to reimburse SAHS vendors. From that account, Soito wrote checks payable to herself and deposited them into a credit union account she controlled.

Soito's scheme caused the interstate transmission of wires, which is a federal offense. She was charged with two counts of wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.

As part of her guilty pleas, Soito agreed to pay restitution of at least $1,483,963.82 to SAHS. This is a staggering amount, and it's clear that Soito's actions had a significant impact on the health system.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boise Police Department. Sentencing for Soito is set for February 21, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Boise.

Soito's guilty plea is a reminder that white-collar crime is taken seriously in this country. We will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/pr/horseshoe-bend-woman-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud