A federal grand jury in Kentucky returned an indictment on December 12, 2023, charging a woman with six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, from September 2019 to February 2023, Nichole M. Lawrence, 34, of Paducah, used her position as office manager to unlawfully obtain funds and services totaling over $400,000 from her employer in McCracken County, Kentucky.
By accessing the company’s bank account, Lawrence scheduled electronic payments for her personal expenses that had been charged to various accounts and charge cards.
Read: North Carolina Woman Charged After Embezzling $500K From ‘Farwell Funeral Service’
She also used a stamp with the signature of the company’s general manager to issue unauthorized company checks to herself.
The defendant made her initial court appearance on January 4, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
If convicted, Lawrence faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud followed by a mandatory 24 months in prison for identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
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