A former official of a St. Louis-based charity has admitted to embezzling close to $700,000 over a decade. Joelle Fouse, 57, pled guilty to three felony counts of wire fraud in a federal court in St. Louis. Fouse had held the position of manager and director of finance and human resources for the charity, which caters to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In her role, Fouse was responsible for various financial tasks, including payroll and expense reimbursements. She confessed to executing unauthorized transactions to bank accounts under her control. This included 181 unwarranted expense payments totaling $407,186, as well as 71 additional unauthorized payroll payments amounting to $139,810. Her actions also led to an excess of approximately $10,694 in payroll tax payments.
Fouse further misused her company credit card for 184 improper purchases, totaling $133,210. She attempted to cover her actions through the falsification of financial records. The embezzled funds were redirected towards personal expenses for herself and her relatives, including travel, clothing, and rent, which in turn affected the charity’s capacity to assist the individuals it served.
Fouse's employment with the charity spanned from October 2012 until December 2023, at which point she was terminated, and federal authorities were alerted. Her sentencing is set for July 10. Each count of wire fraud could result in a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the prosecution.