A Collinsville woman has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for embezzling over $158,000 and committing identity theft while employed at AMK Heating and Cooling in Edwardsville. Angela L. Cooper, 47, was found guilty of multiple charges including wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax fraud. She is required to pay $168,536.12 in restitution and will undergo three years of supervised release.
"The U.S. Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes identity theft because the crime causes so much harm," stated U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. He emphasized the impact on victims who face drained bank accounts and prolonged recovery periods from such crimes.
Court documents reveal that as office manager at AMK, Cooper misused her access to the company's checkbook and accounting software by writing over 100 fraudulent checks payable to herself and forging the business owner's signature. These transactions were disguised as payroll and loans to conceal her actions over a two-year span, resulting in a total embezzlement of $158,658.41.
"By nature, greed continues to grow if left unchecked," commented FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson regarding Cooper's extended fraudulent activities against her employer and a coworker.
Cooper also exploited personal information from employee files to apply for a Discover credit card using a coworker's details, accruing charges totaling $9,877.71 swiftly after obtaining it.
Special Agent in Charge Bill Steenson from IRS Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office remarked on Cooper's betrayal of trust through her embezzlement actions as a bookkeeper. Her failure to report stolen funds as income on tax returns further compounded her offenses.
In addition to the financial crimes committed at AMK Heating and Cooling, Cooper neglected to declare the illicitly obtained income on her tax returns for 2019 through 2021, leading to a tax loss exceeding $35,000 for the IRS.
The investigation involved contributions from IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Springfield Field Office with Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross prosecuting the case.
