Springfield, Illinois Woman Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day For Wire Fraud

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois woman, Bridget Hansen, 40, of the 3600 block of Lancaster Road in Springfield, Illinois was sentenced on October 23, 2023, by Senior United States District Court judge Sue. E. Myerscough to 12 months and 1 day in prison for wire fraud. As part of her sentence, Hansen was ordered to pay a total of $45,894.53 in restitution.

Hansen was indicted in October of 2020 and pled guilty in January of 2023.

At the sentencing, the government provided information that, while employed as the director of Our Redeemer Day Care in Jacksonville, Illinois, Hansen devised a scheme to defraud the day care by transferring money from the business’s bank accounts to her own bank accounts. Hansen would also write checks on the day care’s bank accounts to herself or to cash and use the money for personal expenses. While employed with Our Redeemer, Hansen stole over $45,000, which caused the day care to cut back on the services it offered and contemplate closing the facility.

At the hearing, Judge Myerscough indicated that Hansen abused her position of trust and her actions caused, not only internal financial hardships to Our Redeemer Day Care, but had additional consequences by limiting the day care’s ability to obtain grants and other resources that would enhance the programs for the children in their care.

The statutory penalties for wire fraud are up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.

The Jacksonville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.