Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Janna B. Shelby, age 54, of Easley, pled guilty in federal court in Greenville, to wire fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks, of Greenville, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Shelby worked for McLaughlin Manufacturing as an accounts payable specialist in Greenville, South Carolina. Shelby devised a scheme and artifice to defraud whereby she would submit requests for payment to McLaughlin Manufacturing for personal bills that she disguised to appear to be requests for payment from legitimate vendors. Shelby would cause McLaughlin Manufacturing to cut and mail checks to creditors of Shelby. She also misused the company credit card to order expensive items that were shipped to her home. Law enforcement estimates that Shelby stole over $400,000 from her employer.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty Shelby can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for no more than 20 years, plus a special assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
