PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) – 51-year-old Bonnie Sweeten, who according to NBC10 once falsely claimed two Black men had kidnapped her and her daughter, was charged with two counts of wire fraud. United States Attorney Jacqueline Romero announced it’s related to her scheme to steal from her former employer by forging checks and making fraudulent purchases with the company credit card.
NBC10 says Sweeten called 911 in May 2009 to say two Black men had carjacked and kidnapped her and her 9-year-old daughter near Philadelphia.
Later on in September 2017, Sweeten, who is most recently of Delanco, NJ, was hired as a bookkeeper for a Doylestown-based excavating company because the president of the company had known her for many years, according to investigators.
Sweeten allegedly used her position to steal company funds.
As the bookkeeper, Sweeten had access to company bank accounts, company checkbooks, the company mail, and other sensitive personal information belonging to the president and to the company.
Using her access to the company’s checking account, she allegedly issued dozens of company checks to herself, accessed the company mail to steal checks that had been mailed to the company – which she then fraudulently endorsed over to herself – and used her access to the company credit card to make tens of thousands of dollars of personal purchases.
Related
“As an employee of the company, Bonnie Sweeten was well aware of her obligation to act in the best interest of the company,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But instead she allegedly chose to take advantage of the opportunity offered to her to work as a bookkeeper for this company.”
If convicted, Sweeten faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison.
“Bonnie Sweeten’s alleged actions are the epitome of biting the hand that feeds you,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Defrauding one’s employer is both a bad career move and a federal crime, for which violators must be held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Related
