FLORDELL HILLS, Mo. — Two former Flordell Hills city clerks were both sentenced to prison this week for their role in stealing thousands of dollars from the city.
Maureen Woodson, 68, was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to repay the $487,673 she stole from the city, according to a press release.
She pleaded guilty in February to one count each of mail and wire fraud. In her plea, she admitted to stealing nearly $500,000.
A second city clerk, 76-year-old Donna Thompson, was sentenced Wednesday to one year and one day in prison. She also pleaded guilty to the same counts as Woodson. In Thompson's plea, she admitted to stealing just shy of $160,000.
Woodson admitted from February 2016 to April 2022, she and Thompson forged more than 600 checks to themselves without the permission of the mayor, treasurer or board of aldermen, according to the plea agreement.
In August 2022, both women were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing close to $663,000 combined in city funds.
Woodson and Thompson cashed some checks and deposited others into their personal bank accounts, according to the plea.
They used the money for gambling, entertainment and personal expenses such as rent for their home in Florissant and federal taxes, according to the plea. The money was also used for their restaurant and store costs.
“Flordell Hills residents and officials trusted these two defendants completely and relied upon them to handle the city’s financial operations,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “The $650,000 that they stole could have been used for vital city services, like fixing roads and sewers, paying contractors and helping struggling residents. Instead, these defendants used it for personal expenses and gambled the rest away. This case, and the prison sentence for Ms. Woodson, should serve as a warning to those who would betray the public’s trust.”
