Denham Springs Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of Over $600,000

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that KRISTEN KOENIG, a/k/a KRISTEN BARNES, age 41, of Denham Springs, pled guilty today to one count of bank fraud.

According to court records, KOENIG was hired to do accounting work for a Jefferson Parish business. From September of 2011 through July of 2014, KOENIG embezzled $601,822.90 from her client by forging her name on company checks and manipulating internal computer/accounting records.

KOENIG faces a sentence of up to thirty years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release.  U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey set sentencing on April 19, 2016.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Rivera is in charge of the prosecution.