Memphis, TN — A former office manager at the Fowler Law Firm is facing federal charges for allegedly siphoning more than $400,000 from the firm over a five-year span. Misty West, 40, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, was hit with a superseding indictment last week, accusing her of wire fraud, unlawful movement of stolen funds, and filing false tax returns.
The superseding indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on February 13, 2018, adds three counts of filing false tax returns for the years 2013 through 2015. It expands on the original May 2017 indictment, which charged West with wire fraud and transporting stolen money across state lines. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, confirmed the updated charges.
West worked as office manager, bookkeeper, and paralegal at the Fowler Law Firm, located on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Memphis. Prosecutors allege that from August 2011 to July 2016, she orchestrated a scheme to systematically steal from the firm and its owner, Charles Wesley Fowler, exploiting her access to financial accounts and blank-signed checks.
According to court documents, West used the firm’s funds to pay her personal cell phone bill and even made an IRS payment to cover a personal tax debt—all conducted electronically, triggering wire fraud charges. She also allegedly filled in blank checks with her own name as payee, depositing them into personal bank accounts before pulling out cash or transferring funds.
The indictment details how West’s position of trust allowed her to operate undetected for years, manipulating billing, payments, and records. The alleged theft totaled over $400,000, leaving the small law firm financially gutted and prompting a forensic audit that eventually exposed the fraud.
West now faces four counts of wire fraud, one count of interstate transportation of stolen monies, and three counts of filing false tax returns. If convicted, she could face decades in federal prison and substantial fines. The case remains pending, with federal authorities urging whistleblowers and former employees with information to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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