Minnesota Woman Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Theft from Her Family Friend & Employer

Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Minnesota woman has been sentenced for embezzling millions of dollars from her employer. 

See Also: Felon Charged With Robbery of a Motorcyclist at Rochester Business 

That’s according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota. 

She was accused of conducting the theft scheme for more than six years at a company owned by a longtime family friend. 

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Court documents say 53-year-old Jennifer Lee Rath used her position as financial controller at an unnamed heavy civil construction company in Hutchinson to enrich herself by using the company’s funds. 

She would regularly alter checks that appeared to have been cut to cover the company’s liabilities for her own benefit. The news release says she used money from the checks to pay her own credit card bills, tax liabilities and other expenses. 

The Hutchinson woman also used electronic transfers of company funds for personal use and wracked up personal charges on the company’s credit cards. Rath would cover her tracks by altering the company’s financial management software, court documents say. 

In all, Rath stole $2,061,328.67 from her employer. The news release says Rath’s theft caused employees to lose their jobs, delayed payments to vendors and hurt the company’s credit and reputation. 

Rath pleaded guilty to a count of mail fraud in September. She was sentenced this week to 41 months in federal prison. 

The time behind bars will be followed by three years of supervised release. Rath was also ordered to pay back the money she stole.