Taylorsville Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzling More Than $15 Million

Donna Osowitt Steele, age 52 of Taylorsville, admitted in Federal Court on Wednesday to embezzling more than $15 million from a company in Hickory where she was once CEO. She will be sentenced at a later date.

Weeping as she spoke in Charlotte Federal Court, Steele said she was “very sorry.” The judge gave her a $25,000 unsecured bond and ordered that she surrender her passport. Steele cannot leave the Western District of North Carolina without the court’s permission. The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Steele worked at TIGRA USA in Hickory from 1999 to January 2020. She started in the shipping department and was promoted over the next 20 years to various positions within the company, including chief executive officer, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

TIGRA is looking for more than $16 million in restitution.

In a published report in the Wednesday edition of the HICKORY DAILY RECORD, Steele has a criminal past including previous convictions for embezzlement.

In 1995, Steele pleaded guilty of embezzling funds from a company in Winston Salem. She was ordered to pay $270,131.89 in restitution. The judge also ordered that she pay 10 percent of the restitution the day of her sentencing. She did not produce the money, so the judge sentenced her to serve at least 10 months in prison. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website, Steele was incarcerated from Aug. 1, 1995 until June 28, 1996.

In 1993, she faced eight worthless check charges in Forsyth County, according to the county court records. In 1994, she had 20 charges for worthless checks as well as two forgery charges in Forsyth. She also had four charges for worthless checks in Yadkin County that year.

Along with the embezzlement charge in 1995, Steele has also pleaded guilty to fraud rental vehicle in Forsyth County in 1995, two counts of forgery in Forsyth County in 1994, two counts of worthless checks in Forsyth County in 1994, four counts of worthless checks in 1994 in Yadkin County, five counts of worthless checks in 1995 in Davie County, and four counts of worthless checks in 1995 in Forsyth County, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website.

Check out the Thursday edition of the HICKORY DAILY RECORD for a complete report

Photo: Facebook
Story: Kristen Hart-Hickory Daily Record