Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Federal Bank Fraud
| U.S. Attorney’s Office May 24, 2012 |
GULFPORT, MS—Deanna Mickle, 42, of Florence, Mississippi, pled guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen announced.
Mickle was employed with the Jackson-based architectural firm Barlow Eddy Jenkins, P.A. (BEJ) as bookkeeper and office manager. Beginning in 2004, Mickle stole money from the firm by writing checks to herself and forging the signature of a former employee who was authorized to sign checks on behalf of the firm. To conceal the fraud, she moved money around in various BEJ accounts at Trustmark National Bank. Over a seven-year period, Mickle stole more than $387,165 from the firm.
Mickle will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee on August 16, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.