Tonya R. Long Press Release (Guilty Plea)

January 31, 2007
For Immediate Release

FORMER EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO THE EMBEZZLEMENT OF MORE THAN $500,000 FROM ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL AND TO FILING A FALSE TAX RETURN

St. Louis, Missouri: Tonya R. Long pled guilty to embezzling more than $500,000 over a four- year period and filing a false tax return to conceal the receipt of the funds, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.

“Not only did Ms. Long steal from a trusting employer, she lined her pockets with money that was meant to be paid to the hospital for services rendered,” said Hanaway.

Long was employed at St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield, Missouri, as a cashier from September 2001 through February 2006. During this time she worked with receipts of checks and cash from various departments of the hospital, including the cafeteria, dietary medical records and pediatric care departments. During this period, she embezzled in excess of $500,000 from the hospital by stealing cash from the cafeteria dietary department twice a week in amounts between $600 and $5,000 per day. To cover this embezzlement, she diverted money from the medical records center and pediatric care center, as well as a few COBRA checks from the Human Resources Department. These monies would generally be paid in the form of checks payable to the hospital for copies of medical records and medical insurance payments for pediatric care. Ms. Long would then either walk out of the hospital with the cash concealed on her or make cash deposits into her personal bank account at an ATM machine located on the hospital premises.

During this period of time, Long filed tax returns understating her income. The total tax due from her embezzlement for the tax years 2003, 2004 and 2005 is approximately $153,493.

TONYA R. LONG, Ballwin, Missouri, pled guilty to one felony count of embezzlement and one felony count of filing a false tax return. She appeared before United States District Judge Jean C. Hamilton.

Long now faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and/or fines up to $1,000,000 on the embezzlement charge and three years prison and/or fines up to $100,000 for filing a false tax return. Restitution is mandatory.

Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Office of Investigations and First Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Reap, who is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI CATHERINE L. HANAWAY United States Attorney	NEWS RELEASE
For further information: Call Public Affairs Officer Jan Diltz at (314) 539-7719
January 31, 2007 For Immediate Release FORMER EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO THE EMBEZZLEMENT OF MORE THAN $500,000 FROM ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL AND TO FILING A FALSE TAX RETURN St. Louis, Missouri: Tonya R. Long pled guilty to embezzling more than $500,000 over a four- year period and filing a false tax return to conceal the receipt of the funds, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today. “Not only did Ms. Long steal from a trusting employer, she lined her pockets with money that was meant to be paid to the hospital for services rendered,” said Hanaway. Long was employed at St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield, Missouri, as a cashier from September 2001 through February 2006. During this time she worked with receipts of checks and cash from various departments of the hospital, including the cafeteria, dietary medical records and pediatric care departments. During this period, she embezzled in excess of $500,000 from the hospital by stealing cash from the cafeteria dietary department twice a week in amounts between $600 and $5,000 per day. To cover this embezzlement, she diverted money from the medical records center and pediatric care center, as well as a few COBRA checks from the Human Resources Department. These monies would generally be paid in the form of checks payable to the hospital for copies of medical records and medical insurance payments for pediatric care. Ms. Long would then either walk out of the hospital with the cash concealed on her or make cash deposits into her personal bank account at an ATM machine located on the hospital premises. During this period of time, Long filed tax returns understating her income. The total tax due from her embezzlement for the tax years 2003, 2004 and 2005 is approximately $153,493. TONYA R. LONG, Ballwin, Missouri, pled guilty to one felony count of embezzlement and one felony count of filing a false tax return. She appeared before United States District Judge Jean C. Hamilton. Long now faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and/or fines up to $1,000,000 on the embezzlement charge and three years prison and/or fines up to $100,000 for filing a false tax return. Restitution is mandatory. Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Office of Investigations and First Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Reap, who is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.