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ST. LANDRY WOMAN SENTENCED TO 57 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR STEALING MORE THAN $250,000 FROM AN OPELOUSAS BUSINESS

LAFAYETTE – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a St. Landry woman was sentenced Monday to 57 months in prison for stealing more than $116,000 from an Opelousas-based medical imaging business.
Misty Johnson, 40, of St. Landry, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count each of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and theft of mail. She was also ordered to pay $258,128.78 restitution. According to the July 12, 2016 guilty plea, Johnson worked as an office manager for an Opelousas medical imaging services business from January 2009 to July 2014. She was responsible for day-to-day financial operations including billing, payroll and managing accounts payable and receivable.
Her responsibilities included access to the company’s financial information and mail. She also had signatory authority on business accounts and was provided a company credit card for making purchases. In order to further the scheme, she would write checks to herself or to cash, issue herself additional paychecks and make unauthorized purchases on the company credit card. She would then alter the company’s account records to look as though she was properly paying the company’s bills. Johnson also stole company mail including past-due bills and brought them to her home. Johnson’s theft totaled $258,128.78.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic Rossetti and John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

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