A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on December 12 of last year, charging a McCracken County woman with six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Per documents, from September 2019 to February 2023, Nichole M. Lawrence, 34, used her position as office manager of Bristol Broadcasting to unlawfully obtain funds and services totaling over $400,000 from her employer.
By accessing the company’s bank account, she scheduled electronic payments for her personal expenses that had been charged to various accounts and charge cards. She also used a stamp with the signature of the company’s general manager to issue unauthorized company checks to herself.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Sheriff Ryan Norman of the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
The defendant made her initial court appearance earlier this week, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
If convicted, Lawrence faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, potentially 120 years, followed by a mandatory 24 months in prison for identity theft.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case continues to be investigated by the FBI and the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
