SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Missouri woman pleaded guilty in federal court Oct. 11 to embezzling more than $717,000 from a nursing school operated jointly by a Baptist university and a Catholic hospital.
Amy Phillips, 39, waived her right to a grand jury before confessing to charges of theft and tax evasion, Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced in a press release.
Amy Phillips worked as administrative assistant for the College of Nursing, a division of St. John’s Mercy Health System run jointly with Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.
Amy Phillips admitted to stealing funds through two separate embezzlement schemes. Between 2004 and 2007 she intercepted checks intended for the hospital and school and deposited them in her personal account. After that she took the bulk of the money from an employee credit union owned and funded by students of the College of Nursing.
Amy Phillips also admitted she did not claim the embezzled funds as taxable income on her federal tax returns, pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion regarding her federal income tax for 2008. As part of her guilty plea, she agreed to pay $717,999 in restitution to St. John’s and $115,117 plus interest that St. John’s reimbursed Southwest Baptist University for funds that she embezzled from university activities and functions.
Under federal law, she faces sentencing of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after completion of a pre-sentence investigation. (TAB)
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