Matthew D. Orwig
United States Attorney
Eastern District of Texas

Contact: John Ratcliffe
First Assistant US Attorney
(972) 509-1201

DATE: July 24, 2006

RED RIVER COUNTY WOMAN SENTENCED FOR STEALING FROM HER EMPLOYER

(Texarkana, Texas) United States Attorney Matthew D. Orwig announced today that SUSAN GEORGE, a 44-year old Clarksville, Texas woman has been sentenced to three years probation, including six months of home confinement, for mail fraud in the Eastern District of Texas. She was also ordered to pay $10,350 to cover the costs of the home confinement. During an earlier court appearance, the defendant provided restitution to the victim, Alexander Frick DBA Brushy Creek Farm & Land Company, in the amount of $202,895.28. This sentencing occurred before U.S. District Court Judge David Folsom earlier today.

According to evidence presented in court, from April 2000 until March 2005, George was employed as a bookkeeper by Alexander Frick DBA Brushy Creek Farm & Land Company. During this employment, she devised a fraudulent scheme to obtain money by forging Alexander Frick's signature on bank checks, thereby causing checks totaling approximately $202,895.28 to be paid to herself, to her bookkeeping company, and to credit card companies that had issued her personal credit cards. George did not have signature authority on the bank account on which she drafted the checks and did not have the permission of Alexander Frick to sign his name. All of the proceeds of this fraudulent scheme were for her personal benefit.

For the purpose of executing the scheme, George utilized the United States Postal Service on multiple occasions. She knowingly caused a check from Brushy Creek Farm & Land Company in payment of her personal Visa credit card account to be sent, delivered, and moved by the United States Postal Service.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregg A. Marchessault.