MACON, Ga. — Two members of the same family have been sentenced for their roles in a decade-long business theft.
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According to court documents, Eva Rebecca Wells, 75, and her son, Billy Lee Wells Jr., 47, of Macon were employees of Mid-Georgia Sales.
Eva Wells was the office manager and was responsible for the company’s finances, including issuing weekly payroll and making other payments on behalf of the company. Billy Wells Jr. worked in the IT and sales department.
Officials said in Dec. 2008, Eva Wells began writing unapproved checks to herself and her son from the company’s general operating fund versus the account used for payroll.
Authorities began investigating after learning about the theft.
The Middle District of Georgia Attorney’s Office said that between Dec. 31, 2008 and May 10, 2019, Eva Wells wrote a total of $3,404,772.22 in unauthorized checks to Billy Wells Jr.
The checks were either cashed or deposited in his bank account. The 75-year-old also wrote unauthorized checks to herself which she cashed or deposited into her bank account.
“The defendants used their position as trusted employees to steal from a small business for more than a decade, a crime that can carry long-term repercussions for all those affected,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary.
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The pair pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud a financial institution on Jan. 23. Billy Wells Jr. also pleaded guilty to making and subscribing a false return.
On Wednesday, Billy Wells Jr. was sentenced to serve four years and nine months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
He and his mother are ordered to pay $2,583,003.80 in restitution to Mid-Georgia Sales and $150,000 in restitution due to Donegal Mutual Insurance Company.
Billy Wells Jr. must also pay $586,112 to the IRS in restitution and $3,404,772.22 in forfeiture.
Eva Wells was sentenced to serve three years and ten months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She must pay $586,112 to the IRS and $3,990,884.22 in forfeiture.
“These fraud scams, although not violent, are not victimless and can be devastating to local business and ruin livelihoods,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office.
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