Thibodeaux Woman Charged Stealing More Than Half a Million Dollars from Metairie Architect

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced the indictment of CHRISTELLE SCHMIDT on Friday, November 2, 2018, age 65 of Thibodeaux, Louisiana for one count of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(b), Bank larceny. The indictment alleged that SCHMIDT stole more than $550,000 from a local architectural firm while employed therein as a bookkeeper.

The indictment alleged that starting in 2007 and continuing through 2017, through a series of fraudulent activities, SCHMIDT committed the offense. The indictment further alleged that she utilized three different schemes to purloin the funds, which were in the care, custody and control of federally insured banks.

The first scheme involved her forgery of more than 600 checks and then disguising those thefts by falsely disguising the checks in the computer accounting records of the firm as funds spent for legitimate vendors. In fact, the money was used for SCHMIDT’S personal expenses. The indictment further alleged that her second scheme involved charging personal expenses on company credit cards. The third scheme involved SCHMIDT’S payment of the credit cards using the automated clearing house (ACH) accounts of the firm.

If convicted, SCHMIDT faces up to 10 years incarceration, a $250,000 fine and restitution and 3 years supervised release. U.S. Attorney Strasser emphasized that an indictment is merely a charge and that to prevail at trial, the government must prove each and every offense alleged beyond a reasonable doubt.

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice Jr.