A Johnsonburg woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Erie of embezzling more than $765,000 from M&M Contractors over a five-year period.
Melissa Bittler, 41, 112 Cushing Ave., Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone in Erie.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Bittler embezzled $765,172.95 from the construction company in Johnsonburg where she was employed as the office manager and bookkeeper. Bittler bought and renovated her house and purchased a Honda Pilot with the embezzled company money, according to the prosecutor’s office.
According to the indictment, Bittler had a company credit card for business purposes. She would use the card for personal purchases without permission, and pay the charges using company checks with forged signatures. To hide what she was doing, she prepared checks to pay the company’s vendors, entered them into the accounting software of the company, but didn’t send the checks. Instead, she created different company checks with forged signatures to pay her personal expenses, the indictment read.
Bittner opened a personal Square account — which allows small businesses to receive payment via credit card — and charged M&M Contractors credit card for personal payments to herself, the indictment stated.
Cercone scheduled sentencing for Oct. 4, 2021 at 2 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Bittler on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Johnsonburg Borough Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bittler.
The indictment noted that the prosecution will be seeking forfeiture of the home and vehicle purchased with funds embezzled from the contracting company.
