Louisville employee gave herself illegal work bonuses: Cosmetic surgery and trip to Aruba

A Louisville construction company employee gave herself some unauthorized bonuses − cosmetic surgery, a shopping spree, airfare and a vacation to an upscale beachside resort in Aruba.

Amy D. Hall's purchases for herself and her boyfriend topped a quarter of a million dollars and were paid for on the company's dime − but without the company's permission.

The Shelbyville woman's scheme caught the attention of the U.S. Secret Service and ultimately landed her in a federal prison.

Hall, 38, used her position as an accountant controller at a design and construction company to access the company's debit and American Express card, court records show. She also wrote checks to herself using a related company's bank account, without authorization from either company. Her spending, which included retail shopping and insurance payments, totaled nearly $262,900. Court records do not list the companies and only refer to them as the "Victim Company 1" and Victim Company 2," privately owned by a husband and wife.

The couple hired Hall in 2019 at a salary of $55,000 and have her signatory authority and control of the company's bank account and debit card at Paducah Bank as well as a Bonvoy Business American Express credit card for business expenses, according to prosecutors' sentencing memo.

As Hall used the money for herself, vendors and subcontractors began complaining that they had not been paid.

One of Hall's unauthorized purchases included a docking fee at Willow Grove Resort and Marina on Dale Hollow Lake in Allons, Tennessee, court records show.

She also splurged on an American Airlines flight and a Marriott Bonvoy beachside resort in Palm Beach, Aruba.

Initially, Hall lied to cover up her crimes, convincing company owners that vendors and subcontractors turned invoices in late or there had been a misunderstanding.

Eventually, the owners realized they had a cash flow crisis. They laid off some employees and paid company expenses out of their personal bank accounts. Hall resigned in August 2021 after being confronted.

The owners began pouring over financial records, realizing Hall began her illegal use of their business accounts as early as December 2019, just three months after they hired her, prosecutors argued in their sentencing memo. In September 2021, a month after her resignation, Hall used the company's debit card yet again.

Prosecutors argued that Hall stole for 21 months and then, when caught, joined another company and continued her crimes, claiming in their sentencing memo: "It is believed she engaged in similar conduct as a staff accountant for another company."

She has not been charged with defrauding another company, but under federal law, prosecutors can include the allegation in their memo to lobby for more prison time.

A federal grand jury in Louisville indicted Hall in September 2023 on seven counts of wire fraud. Hall pleaded guilty to all counts in April 2024.

A judge sentenced Hall in July to three years and one month in federal prison, where parole is not an option.

Once released, she must remain on supervised probation for three years. She likely will have her wages garnished once she finds employment to begin paying restitution to the victims.

Bill Butler, defense attorney who represented Hall, declined to discuss the case, except to say: "She seemed very nice and polite and always punctual.

"She regretted it, told the court she regretted it during final sentencing."

He lobbied for leniency, saying Hall and her ex-husband share custody of her two boys, ages 9 and 17, and she has suffered from depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the defense sentencing memo. Butler stated his client attended Eastern Kentucky University from 2003-2005 and has since worked as a bookkeeper or accountant.

Prosecutors argued that Hall's fraud "was not a one-time mistake. She engaged in this fraud for approximately 21 months.

"The owners relied heavily on the defendant to maintain the finances," according to the government's sentencing memo.

"The defendant took advantage of that trust to line her own pockets."

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville employee gave herself illegal work bonuses: Cosmetic surgery and trip to Aruba