Aug 25, 2016 1 min read

A Canonsburg woman pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to embezzling more than $494,000 from her former employer over a more than five-year period.

Teri L. Zemencik, 50, of Howard Street, pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone.

Zemencik embezzled in excess of $494,000 from IGS Industries Inc. of Meadow Lands from December 2009 through March 2015. Zemencik, who was a payroll supervisor and accounting clerk, issued approximately 145 checks from the company’s account to legitimate vendors but using false invoice numbers.

After the checks were generated, authorities said she re-entered the accounting system and altered them so payments went instead to her credit card accounts.

The investigation revealed that the majority of the embezzled funds were used to repay cash advances charged to Zemencik’s personal credit cards. The investigation further determined Zemencik used the money she obtained from the cash advances to gamble at local casinos.

Cercone scheduled sentencing at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 5. The law provides for a total sentence of 80 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.