United States Secret Service Case Results in Former Bay Minette Accountant Sentenced to 8 Months for Theft of Over $60,000.

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced today that United States District Court Senior Judge Callie V. S. Granade sentenced Karen Dawn Gurvitz on December 6, 2018 to 8 months imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $63,205.

Karen Gurvitz pled guilty on August 22, 2018, in accordance with a plea agreement with the United States to the crimes of Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud.  She worked as the bookkeeper/accountant for the Bay Minette-based company, S & K Machineworks for nearly three years.  During her employment, specifically between January 2015 through October 2017, Gurvitz made close to $62,000 in personal purchases using an S&K company credit card.

In order to keep her criminal activity concealed from her employers at S &K, Gurvitz would change the business mailing address of S&K on all invoices dealing with her fraudulent purchases to that of her home address.  Some of the purchases made included gift cards, along with other goods, intended for her sole personal use.  In total, Gurvitz was ordered to pay $63,205 to S & K Machineworks in restitution.

Brian O’Neil, Resident Agent in Charge for the United States Secret Service Mobile Field Office stated, “The U.S. Secret Service plays a pivotal role in securing the nation’s critical infrastructure, specifically in the areas of cyber, banking and finance. Today’s sentencing is one of many examples of the working relationship among law enforcement in bringing justice to victims along the Gulf Coast.”

The United States Secret Service, Mobile Field Office investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baugh prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.