PITTSBURGH—A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 27 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release, and $270,085.46 in restitution to Cybergenetics Corporation, on her conviction of wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Mary L. Schneir, 42, of Fruitwood Drive, Bethel Park, Pa.

Schneir was employed as the bookkeeper and office manager at Karna C. Goldsmith, C.P.A., an accounting firm located at Summerfield Commons Office Park, Suite 611, 2555 Washington Road, in Upper St. Clair, Pa. Schneir devised and executed a fraud scheme during her tenure as an employee of Goldsmith, whereby she used funds of Goldsmith clients to make online payments to her personal credit card and mortgage accounts. To hide her activity, Schneir would regularly move money between the bank accounts of Goldsmith’s clients, to which she had access. Specifically, on Feb. 28, 2013, Schneir caused an electronic transfer of funds in the amount of $54,145.36, from the account of Cybergenetics Corporation, to an A.L. Brourman Associates, Inc. account maintained at Citizen’s Bank. At the time Schneir’s scheme was detected, Cybergenetics accounts were the only ones remaining affected. The total loss to the business was in excess of $270,000.

In imposing the sentence, the Court admonished Schneir for causing significant financial harm to Cybergenetics, which threatened the viability of the business and the work of its employees.

Assistant United States Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives of the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Schneir.