St. Louis County, MO – A former finance and human resources director of a charity that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $690,000 from the organization.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri, Joelle Fouse, 57, stole funds between October 2012 and December 2023 while managing payroll, expense reimbursements, and financial records for the charity.

Authorities say Fouse executed the fraud through multiple methods:

Unauthorized Expense Payments – She transferred over $407,000 into bank accounts she controlled by submitting false expense reimbursement requests.

False Payroll Data – She manipulated payroll records, leading to 71 unauthorized payments totaling $139,000.

Misuse of Company Credit Card – She made 184 unauthorized purchases amounting to $133,200 for personal expenses, including travel, clothing, restaurants, and rent.

To cover her crimes, Fouse falsified financial records, causing the charity to overpay payroll taxes by approximately $10,694 and reducing its ability to serve those in need.

After her employer discovered the theft, Fouse was fired, and authorities were alerted. She has pleaded guilty to three felony counts of wire fraud and is set to be sentenced on July 10.

Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

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