A Broken Arrow woman we first reported on back in September of last year was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for a wire fraud scheme involving the embezzlement of more than $2.6 million from an Inola business and to signing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell sentenced Cristyne Denise Gilleland, 42, to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. He further ordered Gilleland to forfeit substantial assets, including a yacht, a Grand Lake condominium, financial account proceeds, vehicles and a $2.7 million forfeiture money judgment.
She is also required to forfeit an additional $100,000. All of the forfeited proceeds will provide restitution for the victims.
“Cristyne Gilleland’s pervasive and brazen embezzlement of millions of dollars was driven by greed. Over a seven year period, she violated her position of trust at a small business using sophisticated methods to conceal her scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “The irreparable harm inflicted upon small businesses by greedy fraudsters will not go unpunished.”
In handing down the sentence, the court noted there was no excuse for Gilleland’s outrageous criminal conduct and the egregious abuse of trust toward her employer Tommy Thompson and his company.
At her plea hearing, held Sept. 11, 2018, Gilleland, admitted to embezzling money from TJT Enterprises, LLC, and its owner, Tommy Thompson, from 2010 to 2017 by wire transfers, writing checks, and paying credit card charges, all for her personal benefit.
As an employee of the company who was responsible for accounting and financial management, she used a variety of methods to conceal her embezzlement, including establishing a business that she used to further her scheme.
The charges specifically focused on a fraudulent $577,500 wire transfer made by the defendant from TJT Enterprises to a business she created for the purpose of embezzling funds, and on a 2015 tax return in which she failed to report $477,199 in income to the IRS.
Gilleland was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prison’s Facility.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine J. Depew prosecuted the case.