St. Louis, MO - Julie Lewis, the former Chief Financial Officer of Moore Automotive Group, pled guilty this afternoon to wire fraud connected to Theft of more than $2.4 million over approximately five years, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.

“Ms. Lewis violated the trust of her employer by using company money to fund her lifestyle,” said Hanaway. “Now, she not only faces prison time, she may also spend years repaying the stolen money.”

According to court documents, Lewis used her American Express card to pay for groceries, clothing from Nieman Marcus in Dallas, Texas, and Saks Fifth Avenue in Naples, Florida; airline travel and other personal expenses. These and other American Express charges were all paid by Lewis who had access to Moore’s bank accounts, enabling her to electronically transfer business funds from her office and home computers.

Additionally, Lewis used $93,657 from the Moore Automotive account to purchase property in Warren County and subsequently made a false entry in Moore’s records indicating that it had been repaid.

Between March 28, 2001, and August 2005, losses associated with this scheme are more than $2.4 million.

JULIE LEWIS, 47, Lake Saint Louis, pled guilty to one felony count of wire fraud. Additionally, the plea agreement included a forfeiture count, which will require the forfeiture of all property derived from the illegal activity. She appeared before United States District Judge E. Richard Webber.

Items subject to forfeiture include cash, the above Lake Saint Louis residence, a Bonita Springs, Florida, residence and twelve acres in Warren County, Missouri.

In addition to the forfeiture of cash and property, Lewis now faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000. Restitution is mandatory. Sentencing has been set for November 27, 2006.

Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant United States Attorneys Fred Dana, Julia Wright and Ray Meyer, who are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office