A woman from Springdale, Arkansas, has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison and ordered to pay over $3.4 million in restitution for money laundering and filing a false tax return. Shelly Jo Ketcher, 58, received her sentence on August 15, 2024, with the order for restitution issued yesterday. The sentencing was overseen by Judge Timothy L. Brooks at the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
Court documents reveal that Ketcher waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and filing a false income tax return. During her five-year tenure as a bookkeeper and accountant at a Northwest Arkansas company, she embezzled more than $2.5 million. Her methods included unauthorized payments to herself and others not employed by the company, as well as payments to credit card companies. She also reported false wages on her personal federal tax returns.
Ketcher's criminal history includes a prior conviction for wire fraud in the Northern District of Oklahoma in 2006 and two state convictions for embezzlement in Oklahoma.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas. The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Fayetteville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case.
