Former Red Cross Accountant to Plead Guilty on Fraud Charges
May 25, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Karen Shuerger, a former accountant for the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross, has pleaded guilty to charges that she stole more than $100,000 from the charity, reports the Associated Press.
Ms. Shuerger was accused of five counts of mail and wire fraud and could get up to two years in federal prison. She will also have to pay back $110,000 in restitution.
She is accused of taking money from 2000 until her retirement in 2005, via ordering traveler’s checks intended for disaster-relief workers and using them for herself. Ms. Shuerger spent the money on a trip to Las Vegas, shopping sprees, and a membership to the San Diego Zoo. She also used the charity’s credit card to pay personal bills.
