EAST ST. LOUIS – Angela L. Cooper, a 47-year-old former office manager from Collinsville, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $158,000 and committing identity theft while employed by AMK Heating and Cooling in Edwardsville. The sentencing followed Cooper's guilty plea to multiple charges, including wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax fraud.
The U.S. District Judge also ordered Cooper to pay $168,536.12 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release after her prison term.
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The case was highlighted by U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft, who emphasized the severe impact of identity theft on victims.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes identity theft because the crime causes so much harm,” Weinhoeft said. “Its victims suffer not only drained bank accounts, but they also endure sleepless nights, and it can sometimes take years to undo the damage.”
Court documents reveal that Cooper, as the office manager, had access to AMK's checkbook and accounting software. Over a two-year period, she fraudulently wrote more than 100 checks to herself, disguising them as payroll and loans. The total amount embezzled from the company was $158,658.41.
FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson noted the extent of Cooper's actions, and said, “By nature, greed continues to grow if left unchecked. For two years, Angela Cooper found multiple ways to steal from her employer.”
Johnson also pointed out that Cooper extended her fraudulent activities to a coworker by using personal information to apply for a Discover credit card, which she maxed out with $9,877.71 in charges within weeks.
In addition to her embezzlement, Cooper failed to report the stolen funds as income on her tax returns for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021, resulting in a tax loss of over $35,000 to the IRS.
Special Agent in Charge Bill Steenson of IRS Criminal Investigation's St. Louis Field Office said, “Ms. Cooper broke the trust of her employer by embezzling well over $100,000 from them in her role as a bookkeeper. The crime was compounded when she failed to report the stolen funds as income on her tax returns.”
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Springfield Field Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross handling the prosecution of the case.
