Woman gets treatment in lieu of conviction in Norfolk Southern theft case

LISBON, Ohio (WKBN) — A woman indicted earlier in the year on charges of defrauding Norfolk Southern is eligible for treatment, rather than a conviction in her criminal case.

A detective with the East Palestine Police Department told First News Lauren Fegert defrauded Norfolk Southern out of thousands of dollars after she submitted altered hotel invoices for stays that never occurred. Authorities flagged her submissions as suspicious after paperwork was submitted for the date April 31 when there are only 30 days in April.

On Oct. 21, the court found that Fegert was eligible for intervention in lieu of a conviction, and prosecutors did not object.

Fegert will have to complete a four-year treatment plan on the conditions of reporting to the adult probation department and paying restitution for the amount she defrauded, listed in court records as $15,889.82, according to a judgment entry signed by Judge Megan Bickerton.

A sentencing entry from the court states it found Fegert “drug dependent or is in danger of becoming drug dependent based on evidence and reports filed in this particular case.”

If Fegert fails to abide by the terms, the court could impose a maximum penalty of an 18-month incarceration and a fine of $5,000.

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