St. Louis, MO –Bryan Vonderahe, 45, of Kirkwood, Missouri,
was charged on Thursday, May 16, in a federal indictment for three counts of
Wire Fraud. He appeared this morning in
front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Cohen.
The indictment charging Bryan Vonderahe alleges that
beginning during January, 2012 and continuing through January, 2019, Vonderahe
schemed to defraud a local company where he was employed as chief financial
officer and controller. Vonderahe is
alleged to have issued approximately 500 company checks to himself during that
period of time, totaling approximately 3.8 million dollars, without the
knowledge or authority of the company’s ownership. The indictment alleges that Vonderahe
falsified internal company records and issued false financial statements to the
company’s outside auditors in order to cover up and conceal his fraud
scheme. Vonderahe is alleged to have
used the stolen and embezzled funds for his own personal use, unrelated to the
legitimate business of the company, including to pay for a lavish lifestyle; to
pay for travel for himself and his family to locations such as Florida,
Colorado, and Nevada; to make payments on his personal residential mortgage;
and to pay for gambling and related activities.
Related to the indictment, a Federal Judge issued seizure
warrants for two vehicles, a GMC Acadia Denali and a Land Rover, Range Rover
Sport. The Indictment seeks forfeiture
of Vonderahe’s residence on Windy Hill Road in Kirkwood, Missouri, and a second
residence on Chardin Place in St. Louis, Missouri.
If convicted, as to each charge Vonderahe faces a maximum
penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution is also mandatory. In determining the actual sentences, a judge
is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide
recommended sentencing ranges.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this
case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hal
Goldsmith and Kyle Bateman are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s
Office.
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