Ste. Genevieve woman sentenced to 16 months on wire fraud charges

A Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, woman was sentenced to 16 months in prison Thursday on wire fraud charges.

Kala M. Childress, 27, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp to 16 months in prison on each of four counts of wire fraud.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, Childress worked for Bloomsdale Excavating Co. as an administrative clerk. She was responsible for overseeing the company's credit card accounts.

Beginning around July 13, 2017 and continuing through December 1, 2018, Childress began directing payments from the company's Commerce Bank Visa credit cards to personal accounts. According to the release, the scheme cost the company $246,673.58, of which $241,673.58 was paid by Cincinnati Insurance Co. toward the loss in an insurance claim.

In addition to her prison sentence, Childress is responsible for repayment of restitution of $5,000 to Bloomsdale Excavating Co. and $241,673.58 to Cincinnati Insurance Co.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the prosecution was handled by assistant U.S. attorney Paul Hahn.