ST. LOUIS - An employee of a St. Louis County realty company on Tuesday admitted embezzling $487,000 from her employer.
Crystal Hendrix, 49, of Festus, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to three counts of wire fraud. Hendrix admitted to hatching a scheme to defraud her former employer, a real estate company.
Hendrix handled payroll as part of her duties and had access to the company bank accounts. From about Jan. 8, 2018 to Dec. 9, 2020, Hendrix sent over 140 payments from the company bank account to her own bank account, totaling approximately $483,037. Hendrix used the money at restaurants and to buy a vehicle, her plea agreement says.
As part of her guilty plea, Hendrix agreed to forfeit money and property equal to the amount of her fraud. At her sentencing, set for June 1, she will be ordered to repay the money.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys