CEDAR RAPIDS – A former Waterloo woman, who was employed as a county conservation assistant and embezzled at least $430,019.80 was sentenced to up to 2 years in federal prison.
Leslie Carey, age 44, from Waterloo, received the prison term after a March 13, 2020 guilty plea to wire fraud.
In a plea agreement, Carey admitted that from 2010 until 2017, she defrauded the Black Hawk and Bremer County Soil and Water Divisions and took their money through unauthorized withdrawals, debit card and credit card purchases, store purchases, and disbursements. Defendant admitted she concealed her scheme by transferring funds among accounts, altering financial statements, and submitting false Treasurer reports and minutes.
Carey was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Carey was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $430,019.80 in restitution. Carey must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Carey was released after sentencing and is to surrender to the United States Marshal no later than June 7, 2021.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole and investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General.