Steele is undergoing treatment for her mental health problems, according to a letter from a therapist. Prosecutors argued in a sentencing memo that Steele went to great lengths to disguise her illicit activity by opening accounts in the companys name without the owners knowledge and pushing through transactions after they had been flagged as potentially inappropriate. Neither Steeles attorney nor a federal prosecutor involved in the case had returned a call asking for more details on the prepayment as of noon on Thursday. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Van crashes into industrial clinic on Tate Boulevard in Hickory; no serious injuries reported, Hickory fiber optic company suffered ransomware attack in March, Catawba County Schools announces 5 new principals, LOCAL PRO ROUNDUP: Bumgarner released by D-backs after clearing waivers, Comic book store owner's heroic action leads to arrest of man on attempted rape charge in Hickory, Alexander County high school received concerning call; students are safe, additional police responding, Wine, NC beer now available at two more businesses in downtown Newton, Car flips onto roof, one person injured in Hickory crash, New property values in Catawba County are a land and money grab, Hickory man makes court apperance in fatal hit-and-run, 9-year-old, baby remain hospitalized after crash that killed mother, He was born with defective heart; foundation in his memory touched many in Catawba County, Newton-Conover's Garcia signs with Carolina University for soccer, See a clip now: 'Bar Rescue' episode featuring Hickory pub that airs at 10 p.m. on April 23, Board denies book appeal in 4-3 vote; book challenger says policy unclear, 'On Patrol: Live:' Brookford police to appear on TV show again; episodes air Friday, Saturday nights, Update: 2 adults, 2 teens charged in Hickory shooting that injured 17-year-old, Ukrainian soldiers get targeted by rockets while digging trenches near Bakhmut, Scientists launch new study into humans after realizing spiders lose eyesight due to malnutrition, Analysis: Mom and pop safe as First Republic Bank fails, Biden vows banking system is 'safe and sound'. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. [ALSO READ: Former high school booster . Taylorsville resident Donna Osowitt Steele also illegally spent $1 million on travel, $200,000 on family weddings, $100,000 on . Federal court documents indicated Steele defrauded an unnamed Hickory company of $15 million through credit card charges, checks, QuickBooks transactions and wire transactions from 2013 through January 2020. No one had any idea where she was getting the money or how, Brandon Cox said. Donna is related to Elliott David Osowitt and Jordan Osowitt as well as 3 additional people. Two other letters, also critical of Steele, were submitted for the courts consideration in March. The former CEO has been charged with embezzling more than $15 million from her employer and using stolen money to pay for a lavish lifestyle, including travel, jewelry and family weddings, according to the courts. Donna Steele arrives Thursday afternoon at the federal courthouse in Charlotte for sentencing on embezzlement charges, Steeles detractors and supporters submitted letters to the court seeking to influence the sentence. 2 min read. There was a problem saving your notification. James Goewey II and Stacy Austin are the co-owners of Ellendale Farms LLC. A Hickory man charged in a fatal hit-and-run in Claremont made his first appearance in Catawba County court on Monday. Steele pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 1, 1995. Steele used some of the money to fund a craving for luxury clothing and accessories, including spending more than $500,000 on jewelry alone and high-end purchases in New York City at stores that included Sephora and Ted Baker. The former CEO has been charged with embezzling more than $15 . By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. There was a problem saving your notification. Past Addresses: Hickory NC, Kannapolis NC +11 more. Steele had not appeared before a judge to accept the plea deal as of Wednesday. Being remorseful, in our opinion, would start with a check, TIGRA CEO Bernd Motzer, who came from Germany to speak to the court, said. Federal court documents indicate Donna Osowitt Steele defrauded an unnamed Hickory company of $15 million through credit card charges, checks, QuickBooks transactions and wire transactions from . Downtown Hickory NC. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Attorneys hired by Steele asked for a five-year prison sentence along with supervised release while prosecutors sought a prison sentence between 70 and 87 months a range of roughly six years to a little more than seven years. The Brookford Police Department will be making a second appearance on the TV show On Patrol: Live this weekend. Former Hickory CEO to be sentenced in $15M embezzlement scheme. Donna Steele enters the federal courthouse in Charlotte to plead guilty to wire fraud on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Steele joined the company in 1999 and was serving as its CEO when she was fired in January 2020. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). As of 2 p.m. Thursday, no letters in support of Steele were posted in her case file. In January, Steele sold the Taylorsville property she used for a wedding venue known as The Nest for $1.5 million. I think that we have some families in the community who are really interested in educating, teaching, Goewey said. Assets like this wedding venue in Alexander County, where Seth Couch planned on being married in May. According to the documents, some of the charges to company credit cards Steele made include $1 million for travel expenses on airlines and hotels for herself, her family and friends, $1 million in entertainment-related expenses and $500,000 in jewelry. The company that employed Steele isnt named in the court filing. Steele was also charged with fraudulent rental of motor vehicle in April of 1995, according to court documents. Perkins was not satisfied with the sentence Steele received in 1995. . Donna Steele was charged with embezzlement while living in Winston-Salem and arrested on Sept. 6, 1990. (WATCH BELOW: Clinic Employee Charged With Embezzlement), Clinic Employee Charged With Embezzlement Clinic Employee Charged With Embezzlement. Opulence by Steele was a high-end clothing and furniture boutique Steele founded in 2013. Britt Perkins is Jacks son. She also siphoned off money from the company to support her side businesses. Steele pleads guilty to embezzling $15 million from Hickory company; she will be sentenced at a later date. We learned an unknown amount of jewelry was turned over the federal officials. The farm is roughly 72 acres and was purchased by Ellendale Farms LLC for $1.5 million in January. The first event Carter has on the books is scheduled for April. Steele admitted that, in an effort to hide the fraudulent scheme, she limited communications and interactions between the employees and owners for TIGRA and monitored communications that did occur, she convinced employees that company owners should be feared, and lied to employees about the true nature of TIGRAs financial trouble, according to the news release. Online court records dont list an attorney for her or a date for an initial court appearance. Irene Wysong Cline, Andrew Bridgeforth, and eight other persons are also associated with this address. Donna Osowitt Steele admitted Wednesday to embezzling more than $15 million from a company in Hickory where she was once CEO. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. Steeles attorney, Christopher Fialko, had not responded to a request for comment on the letters as of 2 p.m. Thursday. Federal court documents indicate Donna Osowitt Steele defrauded an unnamed Hickory company of $15 million through credit card charges, checks, QuickBooks transactions and wire transactions from 2013 through January 2020. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. He said after several phone calls, he was able to get his money back, but the new property owner, Kerrie Carter, told Channel 9 that Steele has not reimbursed all of the brides. Prosecutors originally asked for 70-87 months of prison time. She transferred more than $350,000 of embezzled money to the family company. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Van crashes into industrial clinic on Tate Boulevard in Hickory; no serious injuries reported, Hickory fiber optic company suffered ransomware attack in March, Catawba County Schools announces 5 new principals, LOCAL PRO ROUNDUP: Bumgarner released by D-backs after clearing waivers, Comic book store owner's heroic action leads to arrest of man on attempted rape charge in Hickory, Alexander County high school received concerning call; students are safe, additional police responding, Wine, NC beer now available at two more businesses in downtown Newton, Car flips onto roof, one person injured in Hickory crash, New property values in Catawba County are a land and money grab, Hickory man makes court apperance in fatal hit-and-run, 9-year-old, baby remain hospitalized after crash that killed mother, He was born with defective heart; foundation in his memory touched many in Catawba County, Newton-Conover's Garcia signs with Carolina University for soccer, See a clip now: 'Bar Rescue' episode featuring Hickory pub that airs at 10 p.m. on April 23, Board denies book appeal in 4-3 vote; book challenger says policy unclear, 'On Patrol: Live:' Brookford police to appear on TV show again; episodes air Friday, Saturday nights, Update: 2 adults, 2 teens charged in Hickory shooting that injured 17-year-old, Ukrainian soldiers get targeted by rockets while digging trenches near Bakhmut, Scientists launch new study into humans after realizing spiders lose eyesight due to malnutrition, Analysis: Mom and pop safe as First Republic Bank fails, Biden vows banking system is 'safe and sound'. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Please subscribe to keep reading. During the same time period, Steele executed at least 117 fraudulent and unauthorized bank wires, totaling more than $2.2 million, from TIGRAs bank accounts to Steeles personal bank account, which she then used for her personal benefit, including to fund a personal real estate closing, according to the news release. 36. ROBERT C. REED, RECORD The store was operated by Steele and her family and once had a Hickory address, according to the stores Facebook page. Ellendale Events co-owner Kerrie Carter explains what she loves about the property that was formerly known as Steeles Farms. There was a problem saving your notification. Whether its raising two chickens, gardening or whatever. Prosecutors said Steele used company credit cards, checks and wire transfers to steal company funds. A man was arrested on an attempted rape charge thanks to the quick action of a local businessman and his friend. 34. Donna Steele, seen here in January walking to the federal courthouse to plead guilty to embezzling millions from a Hickory company, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 3.
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