Washington, D.C. – Louisa Clark Roussey, a 43-year-old former office manager with the Institute for America’s Future (“IAF”), also known as the Campaign for America’s Future, was sentenced today to home detention every Friday as part of a five-year period of supervised probation for interstate transportation of stolen property, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today.

Roussey, of Bumpass, Virginia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, after pleading guilty in May 2008. The Court also ordered Roussey to pay a total of $61,047.82 in restitution to IAF and to perform 400 hours of community service for a non-profit organization.

According to the factual proffer agreed to by Roussey at the time of the plea, between May 2003 and March 2004, Roussey was employed at IAF’s office in Washington, D.C., as the office manager. IAF is a non-profit organization that, among other things, encourages progressive groups to work together on issues ranging from affordable health care, to job benefits, to public education. As the office manager, Roussey was responsible for processing accounts payable, managing office equipment and facilities, and purchasing supplies.

In the fall of 2003, Roussey devised and implemented a scheme to steal money that rightfully belonged to IAF. In her position at IAF, Roussey had been issued a Bank of America credit card belonging to IAF, and she had the authority to make purchases using that credit card for the benefit of IAF only. Despite that limitation on the authorized use of the credit card, Roussey purchased goods, merchandise, and services for her personal use and benefit using that credit card, knowing that she had no authority from IAF to do so. Between September 2003 and March 2004, Roussey, without authorization, made approximately $64,359.98 in purchases for her personal benefit as a result of approximately 475 transactions using the Bank of America credit card belonging to IAF.

Among other personal expenditures, Roussey used IAF’s credit card to purchase $4,369.80 worth of merchandise from Amazon.com and $1,324.00 worth of merchandise from Pricezap.com; to pay for Deep Creek Lake and Hatteras Island vacation rentals; and to pay for stays at expensive resorts in Iowa and Illinois. These purchases were for Roussey’s personal use and benefit and were neither known to nor authorized by IAF.

Through these unauthorized purchases, Roussey caused companies in various states to ship goods and merchandise to her house in Maryland; caused payment from IAF’s bank account at a Washington, D.C. branch bank to be made to Bank of America in Phoenix, Arizona, for her unauthorized purchases; and thereafter caused payment from Bank of America to be made to companies in various states for the goods, merchandise, and services purchased by Roussey without IAF’s knowledge or authorization.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Taylor praised the hard work of the investigative agent involved in this matter, Delano Watkins of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Mr. Taylor also acknowledged the efforts of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Barr, who initiated the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein, who further investigated and prosecuted this matter.