Former CFO Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Embezzling $2 Million

ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Friday sentenced the former CFO of a St. Louis County, Missouri company to 41 months in prison for embezzling $2 million. Richard D. Zellner was also ordered to repay the money.

Between approximately January 2019 and January 2024, Zellner used his employer's bank accounts to pay off the balance of his personal credit cards. Zellner repeatedly paid off that balance once he'd incurred thousands of dollars in charges, which typically occurred every few days or couple of weeks. Zellner spent the money on vacations, travel, personal bills and purchases of gold and precious metals. He covered up his thefts by altering company accounting records by creating fake work orders and bills.

Zellner also used the company's credit cards for personal expenses.

Zellner made a total of over 1,000 unauthorized transactions during his scheme, fraudulently obtaining about $ $2,062,051.

Zellner, 66, of O'Fallon, Missouri, waived grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud.

The FBI and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.