A former Branson condo manager was sentenced this week to time in federal prison and orders of restitution for embezzling from her employer.
Sarah Underwood, 36, of Galena, was sentenced Jan. 20 before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to two years and six months in federal prison without parole and restitution orders requiring her to pay $311,280 to her former employer, Fall Creek Condominium, and $406,288 to the IRS, according to a news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
Underwood - who worked as community manager for the condo from Jan. 15, 2007, until she was fired Sept. 7, 2012, when her theft was discovered - pleaded guilty March 17 to wire fraud, money laundering and failing to file a tax return. Fall Creek and its owners association operate 639 condominiums owned by individuals under the association. Among her duties, Underwood was responsible for the bookkeeping and financial affairs of Fall Creek and also was an authorized signatory on its checking accounts.
Her two-year embezzlement scheme resulted in $406,288 in losses to her employer and the government, the release said.
To conduct the scheme, Underwood performed several unauthorized electronic bank transfers and wrote $311,280 in unauthorized checks from the owners association. She also received two paychecks every two weeks and deposited the checks into per bank accounts for personal expenses and the purchase of luxury items.
Items she purchased included a Fall Creek condo, Shelby Mustang, Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Yamaha wave-runner and a Ford truck, according to the release.
The truck was registered to Mstrmind Enterprises, a company she owned with her boyfriend - who also had been employed by Fall Creek - to perform construction and rehabilitation work at the condo community. The scheme included an $80,000 check written to Mstrmind for work that was never performed.
The IRS found Underwood did not file federal tax returns 2010-12, according to the release.
After pleading guilty to the embezzlement scheme, Underwood allegedly stole a bank deposit totaling $1,997 from Biker’s Against Drunk Drivers. However, BADD did not press charges.[[In-content Ad]]
