Former sewer district bookkeeper pleads guilty to embezzlement
WASHINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A former bookkeeper for a North Carolina sewer district has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly half a million dollars over a seven-year period from her employer, a prosecutor said on March 8.
District Attorney Scott Thomas said Debra Conway, 57, of New Bern pleaded guilty on Monday to six felony counts of embezzlement, news outlets reported. She was sentenced to between five and seven years in prison followed by five years of probation, Thomas said. Conway also must pay $543,000 in restitution.
An auditor discovered money was being withdrawn from certain accounts of the Bay River Metropolitan Sewer District in excess of what the books showed, according to a news release.
Between 2013 and 2020, records from the payroll company showed multiple unauthorized deposits were made from the company into a bank account in Conway’s name for more than $289,000. The news release said Conway secured a gas card and made over $12,000 in unauthorized purchases, and caused unauthorized payments totaling almost $70,000 into her retirement account.
Also, the news release said Conway altered her payroll to stop withholding taxes from being removed from her paycheck, and she got the district to provide health insurance for her family despite not having a contribution withheld.
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