A Hockley resident has been sentenced for embezzling over $200,000 from her employer, a dental office in Houston. Jennifer Lynn Thornton, 45, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on July 20, 2023. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the sentencing.

Senior U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt sentenced Thornton to 41 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. She was also assessed ten $100 special assessments with restitution to be determined later. The court remarked, “I don’t believe you have proper respect for authority. The harm you caused to the victims was very personal.”

Thornton worked as a financial coordinator at the dental office where the dentist had been practicing for 38 years. In July 2021, during an account review for retirement preparations, it was discovered that Thornton had been diverting funds.

She established a shell company named SGS Healthcare and redirected payments meant for the dental practice into her accounts. Insurance checks payable to the practice were deposited by her into these accounts.

Additionally, she altered company records to take cash from patients without detection. A private auditor found losses totaling $243,597.

Thornton is allowed to remain on bond and will surrender voluntarily to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility soon.

The investigation was carried out by the U.S. Secret Service and Harris County Sheriff’s Department with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuting.