A former financial officer of a charity that provides housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has been indicted on federal charges of embezzling nearly $690,000 over a period of more than ten years.
Joelle Fouse, 57, faces three counts of wire fraud. She is scheduled to surrender to authorities and appear in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Tuesday, where she is expected to plead not guilty.
The indictment alleges that Fouse, who served as the manager/director of finance and human resources for the charity from October 2012 to December 2023, exploited her position to steal funds through various schemes.
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These schemes included:
- Manipulating Payroll: Providing false information to a payroll processing company, resulting in 71 unauthorized payments totaling $139,810 to Fouse’s personal bank accounts.
- Fabricating Expenses: Triggering 181 fraudulent expense payments totaling $407,186 into her own accounts.
- Misusing Company Credit Card: Making 184 unauthorized purchases totaling $133,210 on her company credit card.
The indictment also states that the charity overpaid payroll taxes by approximately $10,694 due to the inflated payroll caused by Fouse’s actions.
Fouse allegedly used the embezzled funds for personal expenses such as travel, clothing, entertainment, restaurant meals, rent, and daily expenses for herself and family members. She attempted to conceal her actions by falsifying financial records.
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The charity, which has not been named in the indictment, reported the suspected fraud to the FBI and cooperated fully with the investigation.
If convicted, Fouse faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud.
It’s important to remember that an indictment is merely an accusation, and Fouse is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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