The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Charlotte J. Knisely, age 53, of Dover, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge William W. Caldwell to a 46 month term of imprisonment. Judge Caldwell further ordered that Knisely pay $401,841.79 in restitution and serve two years of supervised release.

     According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Knisely was previously employed by Merchants Express Money Order Company (MEMO), Lemoyne, and was responsible for issuing replacement money orders to customers whose money orders were lost or damaged. On numerous occasions between 2005 and 2009, Knisely queried the MEMO computer system for information about money orders that had been issued but never negotiated. She then issued “replacement” money orders, made out to names that were similar to her creditors but altered to appear to be the names of individuals. After the money orders were printed, Knisely wrote in the additional letters to make the money orders payable to her creditors, including banks, credit card companies, and insurance companies. She then mailed the fraudulent money orders to her creditors.

     Knisely issued 1,924 “replacement” money orders with a total value of $401,840.79 between January 2005 and June 2009.

     Knisely was indicted in October 2011. She pleaded guilty in April 2012.

     The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christy H. Fawcett.

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