Susan Winebarger, Embezzlement, Missouri 2008

St. Louis, MO – A shocking case of corporate greed has hit the St. Louis area, as Susan Winebarger, CEO of VNA-TIP of Bridgeton, Missouri, has been indicted for allegedly embezzling approximately $600,000 from company accounts.

According to the indictment, Winebarger, who served as Chief Financial Officer and later Chief Executive Officer of VNA-TIP, ran the day-to-day business and financial operations of the company, including reconciling bank statements and having full access to bank checks for the company’s operating and payroll accounts.

Between January 2008 and December 2013, Winebarger allegedly embezzled the staggering sum of $600,000 from VNA-TIP accounts. She issued checks to herself from both the operating account and its payroll account and deposited those checks into her personal bank accounts. Furthermore, she used the company debit card to purchase personal items and falsified internal financial reports to conceal her scheme.

The indictment also alleges that Winebarger failed to remit money withheld from VNA-TIP employees’ paychecks for their individual 401(k) retirement accounts to the plan administrator, inflating the company’s cash reserves and hiding her theft. She also failed to remit state and federal withholding taxes, social security and Medicare funds.

Winebarger, a resident of Highland, IL, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two felony counts of wire fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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