Hickory Woman Sentenced In Federal Court For Embezzling From Employer

50-year-old Michelle Wilshire of Hickory was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 46 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for embezzling more than $900,000 from her employer. The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to court documents, from 2016 to 2021, Wilshire was employed by a family-owned business in Conover. She was in charge of a third-party payment processing and debit card issuing service that the company used for fleet management and payment services for its drivers. Wilshire issued multiple prepaid debit cards in her name and in the names of other individuals, including former company employees, fictitious employees, and current employees who were not aware the cards existed. Wilshire caused the processing company to load funds onto the debit cards, which she then withdrew via ATM. Between November 2017 and July 2021, Wilshire withdrew more than $528,000.

Wilshire also embezzled company funds by using the processing company’s services to issue checks in her name and to make multiple wire transfers into her personal bank account, totaling over $315,000 and she caused more than $58,000 of the company’s funds to be transferred into the bank account of a former company employee. In addition, Wilshire prepared and filed individual income tax returns that did not include the additional funds she received through the embezzlement scheme.

In July of last year, Wilshire pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

Story: Ralph Mangum-WHKY