Belleville Woman Pleads Guilty To Scheme To Defraud U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund And The Backstoppers, Inc.

Pamela Denise Robtoy, 55, Belleville, Illinois, entered pleas of guilty to Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud in a Scheme to Defraud and Embezzle from the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund and The BackStoppers, Inc., the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Robtoy faces a prison sentence of up to 40 years, a fine of up to $500,000, up to 3 years’ supervised release after serving her sentence, and a mandatory order of restitution. Sentencing has been set for August 28, 2015.

Robtoy admitted as part of her pleas of guilty that she embezzled funds from the 3rd Annual John Perry Golf Benefit held in October of 2013. The proceeds from the charitable event were to benefit the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund and The BackStoppers, Inc. The Annual John Perry Golf Benefit Tournament was a charitable benefit held annually to remember Deputy U.S. Marshal John Brookman Perry, who was killed in the line of duty on March 8, 2011. The wire fraud count charged that Pamela Denise Robtoy sent an email to a Deputy United States Marshal falsely indicating that the checks to the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund and The BackStoppers, Inc. had been reissued in an effort to avoid detection of her scheme.

The investigation was conducted by the Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of other federal agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.