A federal grand jury in Denver has indicted a Parker woman for embezzling from the employee pension or retirement funds of the companies she worked for.
Emily R. Strunk, 44, acted as a third-party administrator for the pension and retirement plans that her small business clients offered their employees, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
“Strunk would gain access to the plan assets, either by directly transferring plan assets to bank accounts she controlled or directing her clients to transfer funds to those bank accounts,” the release said.
She told clients that the plan assets were transferred to “trust accounts” she kept for purposes of investment in the plans. They were really corporate checking accounts that Strunk controlled. the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors allege Strunk used the plan assets to pay off clients who had terminated her services, and moved some of the contributions from plan participants directly into her checking accounts.
Strunk appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty in U.S. District Court on April 8. She was advised of the charges and released on bond.
Strunk is charged with 11 counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, four counts of money laundering and three counts of theft from an employee benefit plan.
Wire and mail fraud carries a penalty of not more than 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 per count. Money laundering carries a penalty of not more than 10 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 per count. Theft from employee benefit plan carries a penalty of not more than 5 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 per count.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or @dpmcghee
