Office Manager Charged With Embezzling From Employer

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Springdale, Pa., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of theft from an employee benefit plan, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The one-count indictment named Jennifer Gent, 39, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, during a two-year period while she was employed as the office manager for the Journeyman-Apprentice Training Fund (JATF) for the Sheet Metal Industry of Western Pennsylvania, Gent embezzled from her employer by writing and cashing approximately $30,297.70 in unauthorized JATF checks.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Leo M. Dillon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards and the Employee Benefit Security Administration conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.