Michelle L. Bernskoetter, a 37-year-old resident of Wheeling, Missouri, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly Brady. This follows her guilty plea to five counts of wire fraud, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
In addition to the prison term, Bernskoetter will face three years of supervised release and must pay $402,513.96 in restitution to the victim affected by her actions.
Court documents reveal that between June 12, 2020, and July 5, 2022, Bernskoetter was employed as a financial manager when she devised a scheme to defraud her employer. She misused her position to embezzle funds from the company to settle her personal credit card debt, leading to a loss exceeding $400,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation into this case with support from the Fort Wayne Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith prosecuted the case.