KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — A Kentwood woman is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison after she allegedly pocketed $500,000 over three years from her employer.
Among the unanswered questions in this case is how a 55-year-old woman was able to rack up such a huge total by skimming fuel cards from a local trucking company.
But that’s exactly what law enforcement officials say happened.
Mary Beth Knapp of Kentwood was the operations manager for D & M Logistics, also known as America’s Transportation Resources based not far from the Gerald R. Ford Airport on 44th Street.
Among her duties was making sure the truckers used in what is essentially a temp service for haulers had work.
She also oversaw the use of company fuel cards from Comdata, a leader in fuel cards for trucking companies.
Over three years, Knapp allegedly would load the cards using phony data to fool her employer and then would go to various truck stops where she would get cash.
Kentwood Police investigators claimed in an affidavit that employees from at least two truck stops identified her as coming in on a weekly basis to get cash.
In 2014 and 2015, police say credit card records show that more than $200,000 went missing and more than $100,000 in 2016.
This might have continued, but Knapp and her company became embroiled in a lawsuit where the company claimed that Knapp and a man with whom she was romantically involved were violating a non-compete clause and stealing clients.
Now, Knapp faces three counts of embezzlement of more than $100,000, each carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
She was in Kentwood District Court last week where the prosecutor’s office offered her a deal to plea to one count and the others would be dropped.
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