Gambler sentenced in wire fraud case

A Blanchard woman told a judge Monday she is baking and selling cakes to make restitution for embezzling to gamble.

“This addiction took over my life,” April Ledgerwood told an Oklahoma City federal judge during her sentencing.

Ledgerwood, 41, stole more than $80,000 from her former employer, Dalton Mortgage Group. She said she suffered from depression and used gambling as a “mechanism of escape.”

From February to October 2015, Ledgerwood was the office manager for the Oklahoma City mortgage company. In that time, she created fictitious PayPal accounts in the names of vendors that routinely did business with the company, according to prosecutors.

Ledgerwood created fake invoices, causing the mortgage company to transfer money to the PayPal accounts. She then accessed the funds for her own use, according to prosecutors.

In February, Ledgerwood pleaded guilty to wire fraud. On Monday, she was sentenced to four years’ probation. U.S. District Judge Scott Palk decided the punishment. The judge also ordered Ledgerwood to pay $81,001 in restitution and complete 120 hours of community service within a year.

During the sentencing, the judge noted that Ledgerwood continued the embezzlement scheme even after she was terminated. But in deciding the punishment, the judge said that the victim in the case supported a sentence of probation.

A prison sentence would only delay restitution payments, the judge said.

Ledgerwood planned to pay $7,500 toward the restitution on Monday, according to her attorney.

The judge commended Ledgerwood for identifying her gambling issue. Ledgerwood told the judge she no longer is addicted to gambling. “I’m confident this will never happen again,” she said.

The judge told her not to visit any casino for any reason. Ledgerwood said the thought of gambling makes her feel sick because of what she has put her family through.

Ledgerwood currently is a loan processor in the mortgage industry but has no financial responsibilities, her attorney said.