Norman woman indicted for embezzlement

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OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal grand jury earlier this month indicted a Norman woman on four charges of embezzling more than $100,000 from her employer, at least in part by means of identity theft.

Michele Dee Ann Pierce, 55, is accused of defrauding C.A. McCarty Construction of Norman, where she worked as an administrative assistant.

The indictment accuses Pierce of depositing into her personal bank account ) 1 checks written to McCarty Construction, ) 2 forged checks drawn on the company’s bank account, and ) 3 checks drawn on McCarty Construction’s bank account and written to the company’s contractors.

The scheme entailed Pierce concealing and disguising her activities by making false entries in the company’s accounting records “and by transferring funds between two McCarty Construction business accounts,” the indictment alleges.

A wire fraud charge accuses Pierce of making mobile deposits of at least some of the checks by using an application on a cell ’phone. Three counts of aggravated identity theft accuse Pierce of misappropriating the identities of three individuals to commit wire fraud.

If convicted, Pierce will be expected to pay back $102,484, “the amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the offenses.” If the funds are not available, she will be required to forfeit “substitute property” that will be used to compensate the victimized company.

In addition, she could be sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for wire fraud plus two years in prison for identity theft, the prison sentences to be served consecutively (meaning one after the other). She also could be fined $250,000.