Northland Woman Pleads Guilty to $700,000 Bank Fraud Scheme

KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Missouri woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to a bank fraud scheme in which she stole more than $700,000 from her employer.

Kim A. Brown, 46, of Kansas City-North, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to a federal indictment that contains 16 counts of bank fraud.

Brown was employed at Standard Sheet Metal, Inc., from 1998 to 2009, during which time she was promoted from receptionist to accounting and bookkeeping. Brown reconciled the business' banking accounts and managed the accounts receivable.

Brown admitted that between September 2002 and October 2009, she wrote at least 474 unauthorized checks, totaling $718,167, that were drawn on her employer's bank account. Brown forged the signature of a business co-owner on the checks and deposited the funds into her own bank accounts.

Under federal statutes, Brown is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on each of the 16 counts, plus a fine up to $1 million on each count and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roseann Ketchmark. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.