A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Catherine I. Wilson, 71, of Bedford, with bank fraud after she embezzled nearly $300,000 from her employer, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Wilson was employed at Koppel Advertising in Bedford from 1991 through 2014. From 2011 through September 30, 2014, Wilson embezzled funds from Koppel’s business bank accounts by using company funds to pay her personal bills and expenses, according to the indictment.
In order to conceal her fraudulent conduct, Wilson altered Koppel’s bank statements to remove records relating to her unauthorized transactions. The total loss associated with this conduct is approximately $288,235, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Kall following an investigation by the United States Secret Service.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
--DOJ Northern District of Ohio