Johnson pleads guilty to Edwards thefts

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Four-hundred thirty-six sweaters, 144 pairs of pants, 89 pairs of dress trousers, 92 skirts, 46 dresses, 58 blazers and jackets, 114 pair of shoes, 81 leather billfolds, 66 leather purses, 15 winter coats and numerous pieces of jewelry and furniture &045; that’s a partial list of the more than 1,000 items Lorna J. Johnson purchased with the $525,000 she embezzled from Edwards Manufacturing Company in Albert Lea.

Johnson, 45, who was charged with two counts of mail fraud by the U.S. Attorney’s Office last month, pled guilty Monday.

According to the attorney’s office, Johnson embezzled the company’s funds between May 1995 and December 2001 by periodically writing company checks payable to herself, Citibank, and Bank of America to pay her personal credit-card bills.

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As part of her plea agreement, Johnson agreed to pay restitution to Edwards Manufacturing. She has already paid about $113,000 by cashing out her 401(k) retirement plan and liquidating her savings, the attorney’s office said. Johnson also agreed to sell most of the items she bought with the stolen money.

Johnson will face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count of mail fraud.