KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A northwest Missouri husband and wife are going to prison for an embezzlement scheme and tax fraud that financed a lavish lifestyle.
The U.S. Attorney’s office says 55-year-old Laura Dejong and 56-year-old Craig Dejong, of Liberty, were sentenced Thursday in federal court in Kansas City. Laura Dejong received 10 years without parole, and her husband two years and six months.
A judge also ordered them to repay nearly $2.7 million to Laura Dejong’s former employer, Kansas City Screw Products, from which she embezzled funds. They must also repay $482,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, and $139,000 to two financial institutions.
Prosecutors said the couple gambled heavily, mostly on slot machines. They also spent money for vehicles, a house, sporting events and travel.