Trusted Kalispell Bookkeeper Sentenced for Stealing $500K From Family Business

KALISPELL — A 59-year-old Kalispell woman was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison Wednesday for embezzling nearly $500,000 from a local manufacturing company where she worked as a bookkeeper.

Rita Ann Pierce received the prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty in March to wire fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the sentencing hearing.

Pierce’s crimes targeted Pierce Manufacturing, a family-owned business that began in 1974 as a welding shop before expanding into manufacturing. The embezzlement scheme came to light after company owners couldn’t understand why their business wasn’t turning a profit despite operations.

“Pierce Manufacturing was unable to figure out why it was not making any money,” according to court documents. “The company ordered an audit, which uncovered that Rita Pierce was embezzling money.”

Four-year fraud scheme

Pierce orchestrated the embezzlement between 2016 and 2020, stealing approximately $496,881 during her tenure as the company’s bookkeeper.

She concealed the fraud by entering fraudulent names in the company ledger and manipulating transactions to appear legitimate, even as money flowed directly into her private bank account, according to the investigation.

The systematic nature of Pierce’s scheme allowed her to siphon funds over four years without detection, undermining a business that had operated successfully for more than four decades.

Federal investigation and prosecution

The FBI conducted the investigation into Pierce’s activities after the company audit revealed discrepancies in its financial records.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.

The federal wire fraud charge carries significant penalties, reflecting the serious nature of financial crimes that cross state lines or involve electronic transfers.

Pierce’s 14-month sentence demonstrates federal prosecutors’ commitment to pursuing white-collar criminals who exploit positions of trust to steal from local businesses.