One-time manager of Kentucky beekeeping business guilty. Feds say theft was $692,000
The former manager of a beekeeping business in Kentucky pleaded guilty in connection with what federal authorities said was the theft of nearly $700,000.
Jeremy Clay Guthrie pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud and two counts of aiding in the preparation of a false tax return.
Guthrie managed the Frankfort branch of Dadant & Sons, an Illinois-based company that says it is the oldest and largest maker of beekeeping supplies in the U.S.
Guthrie also had his own business, called Guthrie’s Naturals.
He acknowledged that beginning in October 2015, he used a number of methods to steal from Dadant.
Those included diverting money to his company from customer payments to his employer; offering Dadant customers unauthorized discounts if they paid with cash, then taking some or all the money; altering checks from customers to show the payment was to his company, not Dadant; and hiding sales to Dadant and taking the money.
The company fired Guthrie in September 2017.
The tax charges result from Guthrie not telling his tax accountant about $325,543 in income for 2016 and 2017, resulting in an underpayment to the Internal Revenue Service of $72,770, according to the plea agreement.
Guthrie concealed a significant portion of his income “because he was suffering from a drug addiction and was using proceeds from his unreported sales and cash transactions, in part, to fund his addiction,” according to the plea agreement.
Guthrie does not have a clear recollection of many transactions because he was often under the influence of drugs during the time of the thefts, his plea agreement says.
The government contends Guthrie owes $692,044 in restitution. He contests that amount, according to court records. That issue will be worked out later.
Guthrie pleaded guilty May 8 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew A. Stinnett, who recommended that U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove accept the plea.
Stinnett scheduled sentencing for August.
The wire fraud charge has a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
