A former bookkeeper for Keller Williams Realty River Cities has been sentenced to 27 months in prison after admitting to embezzling funds from the Columbus-based real estate firm. Lauren Williams Eldridge, aged 38 and a resident of Pine Mountain, Georgia, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Clay Land to pay $453,876.64 in restitution and will undergo three years of supervised release following her prison term.
Eldridge pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, to five counts of wire fraud. Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker commented on the case stating, "The repercussions of employee theft are often felt beyond the prosecution, negatively affecting businesses, their customers and the community." She further emphasized that fraud and theft would not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown remarked on Eldridge's actions: "For years, Eldridge used her company’s funds like her personal ATM," noting that she will now serve over two years behind bars as a consequence.
Court documents revealed that Eldridge served as an office manager and bookkeeper at Keller Williams Realty River Cities for nine years before discrepancies were noticed in October 2022. The firm discovered that money had been transferred from company accounts into other accounts controlled by Eldridge without clear explanation upon initial questioning. Following these discoveries, Eldridge resigned from her position.
In January 2023, law enforcement was alerted about the situation which led to an investigation revealing $453,876.68 had been funneled into Eldridge's personal American Express account between January 2017 and September 2022 through monthly electronic payments from company accounts. In December 2022, Eldridge admitted to embezzling funds during discussions with company representatives and legal counsel.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Hostetler prosecuted the case for the government.
