INDIANAPOLIS — Two Indianapolis women, including a former employee, have been sentenced for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from an Indianapolis-based news organization.
Alicia Wilson, 37, and Mindi B. Madison, 53, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $270,876 in restitution, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
According to court documents, Wilson and Madison conspired together to embezzle the money from WFYI Public Media into their personal bank accounts.
Madison, who was an accounting specialist with WFYI, "presented at least 156 fake claims and invoices for payment," the DOJ said, tendering company checks to Wilson, who deposit them into her bank accounts and split the money with Madison.
"Both Madison and Wilson used WFYI’s stolen funds for their own personal expenditures including but not limited to, rent, restaurants, groceries, fuel, and utilities," the DOJ said.
The pair embezzled nearly $270,900 before their theft was discovered.
“Complex economic crimes such as these devastate the finances and security of businesses and individuals," Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, said in a statement. "The defendants’ theft deprived WFYI of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for public service and educating the community."
The case was investigated by the FBI.
