MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana woman accused of embezzling nearly $450,000 from court-appointed clients who were sent to her to learn about money management has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false income tax statement.
The Missoulian reports 77-year-old Ellen Lorraine Van Audsol, of Bozeman, entered her pleas in Missoula on Tuesday and is scheduled to be sentenced July 19.
She started Fiduciary Consulting and Management Inc. after her career in the Gallatin County District Court clerk’s office. The business provided money management and other services to clients, many whom were referred by the courts.
Investigators say Van Audsol defrauded clients of about $444,000 between January 2010 and April 2016, although prosecutors and the defense dispute how much clients lost. They also say she purposefully withheld information on the questionable income in tax statements.