A manager of a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel has been indicted and accused of using her position to steal more than $150,000 from her employer.
Angelique Patterson, 39, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday with five counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Patterson defrauded a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel where she was employed as assistant general manager.
From March through at least October of 2023, Patterson manipulated the hotel’s reservation system and altered the records of customers who had paid using cash or credit cards, the indictment says. Patterson changed those reservations to falsely show that the customers had used the hotel’s loyalty rewards system “points” to pay for their stay. Patterson then added her own credit or debit card information into the system and had the customers’ payments “refunded” to her.
Patterson fraudulently refunded to herself a total of about $ 153,518 during her scheme, the indictment says. On Oct. 4, 2023, although not on duty, Patterson tried to use the hotel’s desk computer and a coworker’s credentials to fraudulently refund herself an additional $61,998, the indictment says.
Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is prosecuting the case.
