Otavia L. Lewis, Embezzlement, Louisiana 2019

Former Bookkeeper Sentenced for $148,000 Embezzlement Scheme

Alexandria, La. - In a shocking case of corporate betrayal, Otavia L. Lewis, 38, of Crowley, Louisiana, has been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in a brazen embezzlement scheme that left her former employer, Apex Equipment Inc., reeling.

According to court documents, Lewis, who served as the office manager and bookkeeper for Apex Equipment Inc., a privately-held company based in Crowley, used her position to defraud the company out of $148,735.28 between May 2014 and May 2016. The scheme involved the use of Quickbooks' direct deposit feature to transfer funds from Apex's bank account to bank accounts and prepaid debit cards controlled by Lewis and others.

As part of her guilty plea, Lewis admitted to using the names of other employees to conceal her fraud in Quickbooks. The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips prosecuted the case.

Lewis's sentence includes two years in prison and a requirement to pay full restitution in the amount of $148,735.28. The sentencing took place on Monday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of corporate accountability and the need for vigilant oversight in the financial management of business operations.

As the Grimy Times continues to investigate this case, we will provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, our thoughts are with the victims of this embezzlement scheme and their families, who have been left to pick up the pieces of this devastating betrayal of trust.

For more information on this case, please contact the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/former-bookkeeper-apex-equipment-inc-sentenced-2-years-prison-148000-embezzlement