Kansas Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement Scheme

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Amy Shepherd, age 44, of Wichita, Kansas, was sentenced on November 30, 2023, in federal Court in Omaha, Nebraska, for wire fraud. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Shepherd to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Shepherd’s release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Shepherd was also ordered to pay $112,257.80 in restitution.

Roadrunner Temperature Controlled is the refrigerated trucking division of Roadrunner Transportation Systems and it is located in Sarpy County, Nebraska. Roadrunner Temperature Controlled (hereinafter “Roadrunner”) uses Electronic Funds Source (hereinafter “EFS”), an electronic wire transfer service, for their driver cash advances.

Amy Shepherd was employed by Roadrunner from July 25, 2016, through June 21, 2019. During her employment at Roadrunner, Shepherd was a Customer Service Manager, Driver Business Leader Manager, and, most recently, a Dispatch Lead Manager. Shepherd was a Dispatch Lead Manager from October 13, 2018, to June 21, 2019. Amy Shepherd worked remotely from her home in Kansas. Johnny Bradford II was a driver employed by Roadrunner from February 28, 2017, until May 4, 2018.

From February 1, 2018, through June 21, 2019, Shepherd, used her position with Roadrunner as a Dispatch Lead Manager to fraudulently generate advances and enter EFS check codes into Roadrunner’s accounting system. Shepherd characterized the advances as relating to legitimate business purposes, for example repairs, washouts, or trailer unloading. Shepherd entered the advances for current Roadrunner drivers. After generating the check code, Shepherd sent the check code to Bradford. Bradford filled out the EFS Checks with the check code he received from Shepherd. Bradford then cashed the checks at vendor establishments. After Bradford received the funds, he would use Western Union to send portions of the money he received from the fraudulent driver advances back to Shepherd. One such wire occurred on June 9, 2019, when an Electronic Check in the amount of $826.64 was initiated by Shepherd, in Kansas purportedly being for “TRL16452 Alternator” through Roadrunner’s accounting system in Nebraska, to Bradford in Nevada. As a result of the scheme and artifice to defraud, from February 1, 2018, through June 21, 2019, Shepherd and Bradford caused an actual loss of $112,257.80.

On September 19, 2023, Bradford pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2023, at 1:30.  

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.