Casper Woman Admits to Embezzlement Charges

A Casper woman. accused of embezzling from a non-profit organization, changed her plea Wednesday morning, and accepted a plea deal from prosecutors..

Billie Jo Johnson had pleaded not guilty to two charges of theft and two charges of buying or receiving stolen property. but she changed the plea to guilty.

In January 2016, the President of Service Industrial Representatives Incorporated, received a phone call from the bank regarding concern that Johnson had written some checks to herself, and some of that had been paid back, between October through December 2015.

Johnson had been working an unpaid position as treasurer of SIR, during that time.

When interviewed by Casper Police, Johnson first stated that she was trying to prevent SIR's account from having too much money, or else it would be subject to IRS audits, but then later said she was paying herself to help with personal bills and expenses, as well as those of her parents.

She added that her embezzlement snowballed and got out of hand and that she forged the signature of the SIR president on the checks.

She repaid some of the money later on.

Investigators learned that she had been laid off from her other job in September 2015.

As part of a plea deal, prosecutors won't seek any prison time for Johnson, but they will ask a judge to put her on probation, and pay restitution.

Johnson is free on $2,500 bond and will be sentenced later.