A St. Charles County woman admitted in federal court to embezzling more than $3.8 million from her employer through a years-long scam involving co-conspirators in China.
Bridget Thebeau, 45, pled guilty in US District Court to five counts of wire fraud. Between January 2015 and March 2024, Thebeau used over 200 fraudulent purchase orders to direct payments from her suppliers in China for products the company did not require or receive.
In exchange for processing these unnecessary transactions, Thebeau’s co-conspirators in China shared a portion of the payments with her, wiring her more than $2 million during the scheme.
According to court documents, Thebeau covered the misappropriation with bogus shipping labels, bills of lading from China-based suppliers, fabricated invoices she claimed to have given to customers, and misleading statements to the company’s owner and accountants.
In total, she facilitated fraudulent payments totaling at least $3,821,152. Thebeau started working at the family-owned company in 2002. According to her plea deal, the embezzlement resulted in severe financial damage, including preventing the company’s owner from retiring.
Thebeau is due to be sentenced on September 11, 2025. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
