Woman sentenced for stealing approximately $70,000 from her employer

Cheryle Maupin was sentenced to probation for stealing approximately $70,000 from her employer, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Thursday.

Maupin, 49, of Rice MN pleaded guilty in October to two counts of theft by swindle. In court Tuesday morning, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office argued for 54 months in prison, which is the maximum under sentencing guidelines, because Maupin has four prior theft-related felony convictions, including two convictions for embezzling from her employer — the same conduct she was convicted of in this case.

A Hennepin County District Court Judge departed from the sentence recommended by the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines and sentenced Maupin to 22 months on the first count and 61 months on the second count. However, the judge placed Maupin on probation for 10 years and she does not have to serve prison time unless she violates her probation. Maupin will serve 365 days in the work house with 123 days jail credit given for time already served.

Maupin was ordered to turn herself into the workhouse by the end of the day Tuesday and pay restitution in the amount of $46,268.

In her victim impact statement read in court, Jerrilynn Sweeney, the owner of Innovative Business Concepts, said that Maupin’s crimes almost caused Sweeney’s business to file for bankruptcy, which would have led to 20 employees losing their jobs. Maupin did not pay full payroll taxes and after Maupin’s financial crimes were discovered, Ms. Sweeney learned her company owed $46,000 to the federal government for which she was given just 10 days to repay.

According to the criminal complaint and testimony in court, Sweeney contacted Bloomington Police on July 18, 2016, because she thought Maupin was embezzling from her company. She told investigators that a background check had been conducted when Maupin was hired, but on her application materials, she identified herself as “Cheryle Lynn” and presented an altered Minnesota driver’s license.

Maupin had access to the company’s checking accounts, credit cards and payroll. Around July 4, 2016, Sweeney learned that Maupin was using a false name and was still on probation for a similar crime against a previous employer. Sweeney discovered unauthorized charges on two company credit cards totaling more than $50,000.

Sweeney said that one of the fraudulent charges was for $5,000 at Madden’s Resort over Memorial Day weekend 2016. When Sweeney contacted the resort, she found out that Maupin had taken her family there and had already made a reservation for Labor Day weekend.

The judge also placed Maupin on a number of probation conditions, including that she must provide any employers with her true and legal name and if she changes her name, she must also give them the name of Cheryle Lynn Maupin.