Franklin woman sentenced to 24 months in prison for stealing more than $61,000 from her employer

LAKE CHARLES – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Franklin woman was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in prison for stealing more than $61,500 from the company where she worked.

Michelle Leann Berry-Ortemond, 41, of Franklin, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of wire fraud. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $55,346.66 restitution. According to the May 25, 2016 guilty plea, Berry-Ortemond stole $61,696.41 from a Lafayette construction company from February 2010 to April 2011 while employed there. She forged and cashed forged checks, initiated wire transfers and accessed a line of credit in the corporation’s name without consent.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.