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Press Release

Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than a Half-Million Dollars from Employer

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia

ROME, Ga. - Judy Elaine Henry has pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges arising out of her theft of more than $500,000 from her former employer, Bec-Don, Inc., a company that supplies concrete reinforcing steel and related products to the construction industry.

“This defendant abused her employer’s trust by stealing money from the company account for nearly eight years, ultimately more than $500,000,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John Horn.  “Businesses have the right to expect honest services from their employees, but they should nonetheless be vigilant and adopt protocols to safeguard against internal fraud.”

J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The guilty plea of Ms. Henry concludes the federal investigation into her eight years of embezzling from her employer.  The loss amounts in this case are significant as well as her breach of trust to those who counted on her to help oversee company funds.”

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court:  Henry was the manager of Bec-Don’s office in Ringgold, Georgia, and was authorized to sign checks on Bec-Don’s account. From approximately 2006 through 2014, Henry embezzled more than $500,000 in company funds by writing checks payable to herself on Bec-Don’s account, and by making false entries in Bec-Don’s checkbook and accounting records to make it appear that the checks had been issued to pay legitimate company expenses. Henry deposited some of the fraudulent checks into her personal account and then used her debit card to spend the stolen money.

Henry, 50, of Lafayette, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Harold L. Murphy.  Sentencing for Henry will be July 10, 2015, at 1:30 p.m.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Russell Phillips is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Rome Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Updated April 23, 2015

Topic
Financial Fraud