Surgical Practice Office Manager Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Prison for $1 million Theft from Employer

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the office manager of a Birmingham surgical practice to more than three years in prison for stealing from her employer and ordered her to repay nearly $1 million. Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Acting Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey.

U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced ANNTWINE MOSS, 51, of Bessemer, to three years and five months in prison on five counts of wire fraud and four counts of tax evasion for stealing from Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Alabama between 2006 and 2013. Moss pleaded guilty to the charges early last year.

Judge Bowdre ordered Moss to pay $987,375 in restitution to the practice and to forfeit the same amount to the government as proceeds of illegal activity.

“Businesses necessarily depend on their management and accounting personnel to act honestly and safeguard the financial health of the company,” Posey said. “Moss violated this trust and helped herself to $1 million that should have supported the surgical practice.”

“Anntwine Moss’ actions can be appropriately described as deceitful and motivated by greed,” Dorsey said. “She compromised her integrity and enriched herself at the expense of her employers. Moss chose the life of theft and fraud and now she has to face her punishment.”

“Ms. Moss misused her trusted position of authority to steal from her employer and enrich herself, and now she pays the price for her greed,” Stanton said.

Moss’ boyfriend at the time, ANTHONY T. MICHAEL, 43, of Jackson, Miss., pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in the case. According to his plea agreement, he is to pay about $1.2 million in restitution and forfeit that same amount. Michael’s sentencing is scheduled July 12 before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala.

2147483647. to court documents, Moss stole from the surgical practice by using her authority as office manager to write unauthorized checks to herself and to Michael, make unauthorized direct deposits into her account, and use the company's credit cards for unauthorized personal purchases. Moss had authority over several key functions at the surgical practice including payroll, accounting, bookkeeping and managing the office's budget. She falsified her personal tax returns for several years by failing to report to the IRS the illicit income she stole from the practice.

The FBI and IRS investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier O. Carter Sr. is prosecuting.

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