Regional
Former city Finance Dept. employee sentenced for wire fraud
COEUR D'ALENE – Sheryl Lynn Carroll, 52, of Coeur d’Alene, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to over three years in prison for wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson said. U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge also ordered Carroll to pay restitution in the amount of $365,000 and perform 100 hours of community service following her release from prison. Carroll pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud on November 5, 2012.
According to the plea agreement, Carroll was hired by the City of Coeur d'Alene in 2002, as a payroll coordinator in the Finance Department. Around 2007, Carroll devised a scheme to divert money from City of Coeur d’Alene bank accounts for her own personal benefit. At her plea hearing last year, Carroll admitted that she diverted payments intended for the Voluntary Employee Benefit Association (VEBA), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and United Heritage Mutual (UHM), all vendors who regularly received payment from the City of Coeur d'Alene.
Prosecutors say Carroll admitted that she was sending wire transfers to the vendors when in fact she was transferring the funds into her own personal bank account. On average, Carroll made fraudulent wire transfers from one to three times a month for several years. Carroll admitted that she fraudulently received approximately $365,000 from the City of Coeur d'Alene.
In court Monday, Carroll apologized to her former employees and the taxpayers for taking the money that was not hers.
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