2 people sentenced for embezzling over $777,000

MADISON, Wis. (WEAU) - Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, is announcing that two people are sentenced for their roles in stealing money from an Addiction and Counseling Center.

77-year-old Edith Schmuck of Rice Lake was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.

She worked as a bookkeeper for the center in Spooner which offers mental health, alcohol, and substance abuse services for Native Americans.

She and the nonprofit’s Executive Director, Fredericka DeCoteau of Minnesota, embezzled more than $777,000.

DeCoteau was sentenced to two years in prison. They both pleaded guilty in the case during the summer.

The judge in the case says the two gambled away most of the money at nearby casinos.

In addition to serving time in prison, they will have to pay back the money they stole.

The charges against DeCoteau and Schmuck were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Spooner Police Department.