PITTSBURGH - A resident of Springdale, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of theft from an employee benefit plan, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Jennifer Gent, 39, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, during a two-year period while she was employed as the office manager for the Journeyman-Apprentice Training Fund (JATF) for the Sheet Metal Industry of Western Pennsylvania, Gent embezzled from her employer by writing and cashing approximately $30,297.70 in unauthorized JATF checks.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2015, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued defendant’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Leo M. Dillon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards and the Employee Benefit Security Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gent.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
