Casper Woman Given Probation For Embezzling from Nonprofit Group
A Casper woman will avoid prison time after admitting to embezzling from a non-profit organization.
Billie Jo Johnson was given a three-to-five year suspended prison sentence with three years of probation, after she pleaded guilty to one charge of theft.
In January 2016, the President of Service Industrial Representatives, Inc. received a phone call from a 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 worked in the unpaid position of treasurer of SIR during that time.
When interviewed by Casper Police, Johnson first said that she was trying to prevent SIR's account from having too much money, or else it would be subject to IRS audits.
She 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 Johnson had been laid off from her other job in September 2015.
She has also been ordered to pay over $19,000 in restitution.