When you are given access to a company’s funds by someone of authority at that company, there is a trust that you will use those funds for the betterment of the company. If you misappropriate those funds and use them for personal use though, you not only break this trust but you will be doing something that is considered illegal in every state, including here in Missouri.

This misappropriation of funds is called embezzlement and it’s a crime that carries with it a steep price: your freedom. Our Boone County readers can perhaps best see this exemplified after looking at the case of a 61-year-old Neosho man who pleaded guilty in February to several theft charges for embezzling more than $4.9 million from his employer.

Some of you may have already heard about the case, but for those who haven’t, the 61-year-old was accused of taking money from his employer, Frontier Leasing Inc., from June 2008 to December 2013. In the case against the man, prosecutors explained that this misappropriation of funds put financial strain on the company, resulting in pay cuts to keep the business running.

Although the 61-year-old pleaded guilty back in February, it wasn’t until quite recently that he was sentenced to five years and 10 months. According to reports, he will spend his sentence in a federal prison but will not be given a chance for parole. In addition to the sentence, the man must hand over the $4.9 million he is said to have embezzled as well as any property he purchased using his employer’s money.

Source: KFVS News, “Missouri man sentenced for embezzling $4.9 million,” The Associated Press, Sept. 19, 2014