Clearfield Woman Pleads Guilty To Mail, Wire Fraud And Identity Theft In Embezzlement Schemes Involving Two Employers

        SALT LAKE CITY – Teri Ann Jarvis, age 41, of Clearfield, charged in a federal indictment returned in February with mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud in connection with embezzlement schemes involving two employers, will serve 42 months in federal prison.  Jarvis pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to one count of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

        U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Kimball imposed the sentence.  Kimball ordered Jarvis to pay $846,738.88 to Positive Power, LLC, and $42,958.04 to Bronco Fence Company.  She will be allowed to self-surrender in January 2016 to begin serving her sentence.

        According to the indictment, Jarvis was an employee of Positive Power, LLC, from   October 2006 until around September 2013. Positive Power is based in Ogden and provides electrical contracting services.  Jarvis’ duties at the company included assisting with the management of company bank accounts, credit cards, collectables, payables and other financial records.  She was not authorized to sign checks or credit cards.

        Jarvis was an employee of Bronco Fence Company in Kaysville from about March 2014 through about October 2014. The company specializes in fence, deck, and railing construction.  Jarvis’ responsibilities at Bronco Fence included assisting with the management of the office, coordinating with a merchant services company for payment processing, and making accounting entries.

        As a part of the plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors, Jarvis admitted that she devised a scheme to defraud her employers to get money. While working for Positive Power, she admitted she forged checks made payable to herself and to pay her mortgage, car payment, and personal credit card payment.

        She also admitted that she used the alias Teri James in her employment application with Bronco Fence to conceal her identity and avoid detection of her previous embezzlement from Positive Power. While working for Bronco Fence, she provided false refund information to the merchant services company used by the business so that the merchant servicer processed the false refunds and transferred the money to her personal bank account.  She admitted she offset the money she embezzled from Bronco Fence as “material expenses” in the company records. She admitted altering company financial accounts and records at both companies to conceal her embezzlement of $889,696.92 from the businesses.

        “This unscrupulous defendant thought she had figured out a clever scheme to defraud her employers, steal company funds, and thwart the IRS,” said John G. Collins, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of Utah. “IRS Criminal Investigation has made investigating identity theft a top priority and, together with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will hold those who engage in similar behavior fully accountable.”

        The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kaysville Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City.