KANSAS CITY, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that the former director of a program that provided a home for disabled persons in Higginsville, Mo., has been sentenced in federal court for embezzling more than $300,000 from the organization.

Terri Arlene Marr, 51, of Warrensburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, to three years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Marr to pay $317,544 in restitution. Marr must surrender to begin serving her sentence on Dec. 15, 2014.

On April 23, 2014, Marr pleaded guilty to two counts of theft in connection with a health care benefit program.

Marr was the director of the Progressive Alternative Living, Inc. (PAL) from 1991 through 2013. PAL is an organization that operates a home in Higginsville for disabled persons in need of assistance. PAL receives reimbursement for many of these individuals from Medicaid. Marr was responsible for keeping strict and accurate accounts of all money received by and disbursed for and on behalf of PAL.

Marr admitted that she used PAL credit cards to pay personal expenses. Marr also made payments on her personal credit cards out of the PAL bank account from 2001 through 2013.

Marr also admitted that, from 2001 through 2013, she issued payroll checks to an individual who was not an employee of PAL. These payroll checks total approximately $186,038.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI and the Higginsville, Mo., Police Department.