A St Joseph woman will serve five years in federal prison for a wire-fraud scheme in which she stole nearly $1 million from two outdoor sign companies in which she was a part owner. Federal investigators say the full extent of her thefts will be nearly impossible to ascertain.

A US Judge on Tuesday ordered Vicky Diane McDonell to pay more than $940,000 in restitution to Max Pro Consultants and MPC Billboards. The amount covers legal fees paid by the victims as well as more than $906 thousand stolen from the companies.

McDonell pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, but prosecutors say she committed more than 2,440 acts of theft, which amounts to one theft every week for 12 years starting in June of 1997.

According to court documents, McDonell paid thousands of dollars from company accounts to her son and teenage daughter for unauthorized work. She also gave her daughter a company credit card, and wrote a $5,000 business check to her mother for work that was never done.

Court documents indicate that McDonell continued to steal from the companies after she was fired. Officials say she obtained a loan against her company car, traded int he company car for apersonal vehicle, and wrote a company check for a payment on the personal vehicle. Authorities also say she spied on other company officials, by hiding a voice-activated digital recorder in their officer to listen to private conversations.

But authorities say the full extent of her crimes may never be known. McDonell sabotaged the victims’ business records, stole four years of bank records and check registers, and erased or locked computer records.