Fenton Area Woman Sentenced For Embezzlement

St. Louis, MO – ELAINE LEWIS was sentenced to 27 months in prison for embezzling more than $300,000 from a church checking account, between 2009 and August 2013.  In addition to the prison sentence, she was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $303,000.

According to court documents, Elaine Lewis worked as a bookkeeper for the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, located in St. Louis County, Missouri.  Between 2009 and August 2013, Lewis used a variety of schemes to embezzle more than $300,000 from the Church’s bank account at Bank of America.  Most of the funds were transferred and deposited into a Commerce Bank account associated with her family’s business -- Advanced Lock & Key, Inc. -- which was operated out her residence in Fenton, Missouri.  

Lewis, Fenton, Missouri, pled guilty in December to one felony count of mail fraud. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. 

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Sunset Hills, Missouri, Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney John Bodenhausen handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.