Former car dealer office manager sentenced for stealing $700k
The former officer manager of Three Rivers Volkswagen has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison, 3 years probation following release and was ordered to pay $397,000 in restitution after she pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $600,000 from her employer.
U.S. District Judge Cathy Bisson handed down the March 11 sentence to Deborah Cassini, 63, of New Castle, who pleaded guilty in August to wire fraud and submitting false tax returns. Cassini embezzled money by making payments for her personal credit card and vehicle from the company’s bank account, issuing herself additional compensation, skimming cash, writing checks to herself and withdrawing cash from the company’s account, the Pittsburgh U.S. attorney’s office said.
Cassini hid her activity by making bogus accounts and flushed cash back and forth between them, according to U.S. attorney David Hickton.
The thefts occurred from 2006-2011.