You can cancel at any time. Earlier this year, Channel 9s Dave Faherty reported that Donna Steele pleaded guilty to a wire fraud embezzlement scheme that involved Tigra, a company based out . We were so blown away with what she did to us, Perkins said. . Once Steele was fired, the company no longer had inventory problems, company credit cards were not declined and there were no longer issues with employee payroll and insurance, the documents say. Those writing in support of Steele included her family members and representatives of a prison ministry Steele has worked with. WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former CEO pleads guilty to embezzling more than $15M to fund lavish lifestyle, RELATED: Former NC CEO accused of embezzling $15 million accepts plea deal, Fisherman pulls massive catfish out of Lake Norman, City worker killed in accidental fire at home, Charlotte Fire says, Another homebuyer says Keyo Tiny House didnt do the work, AA pilots picket outside Charlotte Douglas over contract negotiations, Man accused in NC deputys shooting death escapes jail, deputies say, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. This is the one, when it came available, we decided to go for it, Goewey said. A man was arrested on an attempted rape charge thanks to the quick action of a local businessman and his friend. We didnt know what we were doing because we didnt get an email a text message a phone call or anything about what to do, Couch said. The best result we found for your search is Donna M Steele age 50s in Hickory, NC. A judge will decide the total restitution. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Steele did not answer any of Channel 9s questions as she headed into the courtroom. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Oliver's Landing New Build. Court documents said she used the money to pay for her lavish lifestyle, including travel, $500,000 on jewelry, and family weddings. She was fired from the company on Jan. 28, 2020. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Weve looked at several properties. They have also lived in Cumming, GA and Winston Salem, NC. Steele admitted that, in an effort to hide the fraudulent scheme, she limited communications and interactions between the employees and owners for TIGRA and monitored communications that did occur, she convinced employees that company owners should be feared, and lied to employees about the true nature of TIGRAs financial trouble, according to the news release. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. She used the misappropriated funds for lavish personal purchases and a side business. Kevin Griffin is the city of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record. Donna Steele lives in West Jefferson, NC; previous city include Hickory NC. I remember her as being very outgoing and assertive, like she was going to get things done. 2023 Cox Media Group. She was ordered to surrender her passport and will be sentenced at a later date. The best result we found for your search is Donna M Steele age 50s in Hickory, NC. Hickory fiber optic manufacturer CommScope was the victim of a ransomware attack in late March, the company confirmed in a statement Tuesday. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. You have permission to edit this article. He said she used the money to purchase a house, cars, extravagant trips and a Jet Ski. District court records are destroyed after three years of the case being resolved in court. Kevin Griffin is the City of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record. Steele's Farms property purchased for $1.5 million; new owners plan to use as farm, event venue. Shes very slick. Perkins is the current owner of AdSign Corporation in Winston-Salem. You have permission to edit this article. Faherty went to her home in Alexander County but was told no comment and asked to leave. High quality craftsmanship, wonderful . Custom Lake Front New Build. He said the embezzlement nearly bankrupted the company, and that it is still stuck with millions in debt. During her six months with the company, Britt Perkins said Steele embezzled more than $500,000. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. West Jefferson, NC. No one had any idea where she was getting the money or how, Brandon Cox said. Seeing someone come in town and do good things in town, we were all kind of excited. Lia Bantavani with the U.S. Department of Justice said Donna Osowitt Steele has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud. She had been living at that address since December 2007. The property was previously owned by Timothy and Donna Steele. Please subscribe to keep reading. Donna lives at 1260 6th Str NW, Hickory, NC 28601-2408. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. She was fired from the company on Jan. 28, 2020. She used some of the money to pay for her lavish lifestyle and family businesses. There was a problem saving your notification. Cayer asked Steele if she would like to say anything to the court. It was a slap on the wrist, he said. Bernd Motzer confirmed the unnamed company is USA Tigra. Two men and two teens have been charged in connection with a shooting that left a 17-year-old seriously injured Tuesday afternoon. A colleague came for a visit recently. The Brookford Police Department will be making a second appearance on the TV show On Patrol: Live this weekend. The attorneys said that TIGRAs work environment was one where drinking was a big part of the culture and executives would hold meetings at a nude spa in Germany and subject Steele to sexual innuendo. The entire team was a pleasure to work with. Donna Osowitt Steele, 53, received her sentence Thursday . Free Tools ; Leads by Industry ; Top Profiles . Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Her supporters said she had taken responsibility for her actions. Carter said she is trying to locate patrons of the previous owners to try to reschedule their events. Britt Perkins is Jacks son. Hickory, NC. He admits it was a difficult time for his bride-to-be. Court documents said she used the money to pay for her lavish . Federal defendant Donna Steele, right, escorted by attorney Ronald Frey gets into a vehicle at the federal courthouse in Charlotte in January after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $15 million while employed by TIGRA USA in Hickory. Goeweys mother-in-law Kerrie Carter, Goeweys wife Lindsey Goewey and Austins wife Janet Austin will be hosting events on the property through their company, Ellendale Events. Steele was employed at the company in 1999 and was promoted to chief executive officer in 2015, federal court documents say. You look at what she did to him, maybe he wouldnt have been that shocked.. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. The judge could also consider that in the 1990s, Steele was jailed for her role in another embezzlement case where she was accused of stealing half a million dollars from a family-owned business near Winston-Salem. Her court date has not been scheduled. This is not the first time Steele has faced criminal charges. According to the documents, some of the charges to company credit cards Steele made include $1 million for travel expenses on airlines and hotels for herself, her family and friends, $1 million in entertainment-related expenses and $500,000 in jewelry. CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Donna Osowitt Steele, 52, of Taylorsville, N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud, for embezzling more than $15 million from her former employer, announced Dena J. You can cancel at any time. Hickory fiber optic manufacturer CommScope was the victim of a ransomware attack in late March, the company confirmed in a statement Tuesday. Secretary at Tigra Usa INC is presently Donna's occupation. Since Steeles 1995 embezzlement charge while employed by AdSign was a superior court case, those records were still available. During the same time period, Steele executed at least 117 fraudulent and unauthorized bank wires, totaling more than $2.2 million, from TIGRAs bank accounts to Steeles personal bank account, which she then used for her personal benefit, including to fund a personal real estate closing, according to the news release. Email: [email protected]. When credit card companies reached out to Steele about suspicious transactions, she would respond saying the transactions were approved, the documents say. You have permission to edit this article. (WSOC). Steele is accused of spending millions for weddings, trips for herself and family members, other entertainment-related expenses and more. Steele used some of the money to fund a craving for luxury clothing and accessories, including spending more than $500,000 on jewelry alone and high-end purchases in New York City at stores that included Sephora and Ted Baker. Granite Falls, NC. Steele plans to liquidate some of her assets to make the payments. Well have a working farm. Once Steele was fired, the company no longer had inventory problems, company credit cards were not declined and there were no longer issues with employee payroll and insurance, according to the documents. We build and install lighted signs.. Steele also used stolen money to fund personal businesses run by her family. (Facebook photo) A Taylorsville woman accused of embezzling more than $15 million from her employer in Catawba County had been convicted in the past of embezzlement as well. She's accused of embezzling over $15 million from her employer from 2013-2020. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Among those arguing for a harsher sentence were employees who worked under Steele, one of whom wrote, We were all pawns in Donnas game.. Former NC CEO accused of embezzling $15 million accepts plea deal. We are gratified that justice is being done, Motzer, the president of the company, said in an email. She used some of the money to pay for her lavish lifestyle and family businesses. S. Cayer said in court. Today, he is the owner of the Chick-fil-A restaurant on U.S. 70 in Hickory, he said. Me and Stacy have been looking for a working farm for the past year and a half to two years to invest in together. Phone Number: (828) 322- CGIL +14 phones. Mooneyham also recalled Steele using her own credit card in some cases to pay for charges when the company card was declined. Documents say Steele transferred more than $350,000 of embezzled money to the family company. Motzer said he has since taken over as TIGRA USAs acting CEO. There was a problem saving your notification. The address on file for this person is 178 North Shore Dr, Hickory, NC 28601 in Catawba County. (WATCH BELOW: Former NC CEO accused of embezzling $15 million to fund lavish lifestyle), Former NC CEO accused of embezzling $15 million to fund lavish lifestyle. You have permission to edit this article. Steele worked there in 1994-95 when Jack Perkins was the owner. They have also lived in Taylorsville, NC and Cumming, GA. Donna is related to Elliott David Osowitt and Jordan Osowitt as well as 3 additional people. Former CEO pleads guilty to embezzling more than $15M to fund lavish lifestyle. She also has houses in Killeen, 800 Beeler Ave, Hamlet, 177 Woodrow Run, and 6449 Rockford Dr in Fayetteville. Steele is undergoing treatment for her mental health problems, according to a letter from a therapist. Donna Osowitt Steele is accused of embezzling more than $15 million from her employer, Tigra, in Hickory between 2013 and 2020. The store was operated by Steele and her family and once had a Hickory address, according to the stores Facebook page. Anchors Landing - Lake Home. Donna Steele enters the federal courthouse in Charlotte on Thursday afternoon. Donna Osowitt Steele. She was ordered to pay $270,131.89 in restitution. Federal defendant Donna Steele arrives at the federal courthouse in Charlotte for sentencing on embezzlement charges in November. She didnt say a word as Channel 9 tried asking her about the embezzlement as she walked into the federal courthouse. The phone number for Donna is (828) 322-3512 (Central Tel Co of North Carolina). Assets like this wedding venue in Alexander County, where Seth Couch planned on being married in May. You can cancel at any time. Steele appeared in . Hickory fiber optic manufacturer CommScope was the victim of a ransomware attack in late March, the company confirmed in a statement Tuesday. Former NC CEO accused of embezzling $15 million accepts plea deal. Steele had not appeared before a judge to accept the plea deal as of Wednesday. It was said in court that TIGRA is looking for more than $16 million in restitution. Carter wrote to the judge handling Steele's embezzlement case saying: "Ms. Steele . A former Hickory CEO is set to spend eight years in federal prison for embezzling more than $15 million from the company she once headed. Donna O Steele, Age 54. aka Donna M Brendleosowitt, Donna M Kelley, Donna M Osowitt. Past Addresses: Hickory NC, Kannapolis NC +11 more. The main room has a large wooden cross in the center of the back wall and is lit by chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/SVeD7EhyWr. 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They noted the company hired and promoted Steele despite her lack of education and the fact she was on supervised release after serving a federal prison sentence for personally cashing checks from another business.