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I don't think I have ever seen someone get sent to jail for embezzeling pension assets.

The Department of Labor announced that the former owner of a Mississippi home health care agency has been sentenced after pleading guilty to embezzlement of 401(k) plan assets.

Restitution and Prison Sentence Ordered After Owner’s Failure to Remit Contributions to 401(K) Plan, DOL/EBSA News Release No. 04-111-CHI, February 10, 2004.

News Release

U.S. Department of Labor

Office of Public Affairs

Atlanta, Ga

Release Number 04-111-ATL

For Immediate Release

Date: Feb. 10, 2004

Contact: Gloria Della

Phone: (202) 693-8664

Former Owner of Mississippi Home Health Care Agency Sentenced for Embezzling Pension Assets

ATLANTA-The former owner of Complete Health System, Inc. of Vicksburg, Miss., (formerly Haworth Home Health Agency, Inc.) was sentenced on Jan. 23, 2004 to four months in prison, four months of home confinement, probation and restitution to the company’s 401(k) plan.

Ida J. Haworth was sentenced in federal district court in Jackson, Miss. after pleading guilty to one count of embezzling assets belonging to the Haworth Home Health Agency 401(k) Plan.

“Theft of employee benefit assets jeopardizes the benefits of workers,” said Howard Marsh, regional director of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in Atlanta. “This case reaffirms our commitment to protect the benefit promises made to workers.”

Haworth was indicted on Aug. 20, 2003 for failing to remit approximately $53,000 in employee contributions to the 401(k) plan’s investment manager. She operated several home health care agencies in Louisiana and Mississippi for several years.

The Atlanta regional office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.

(U.S. v. Haworth)

Criminal No. 3:03-CR-128B

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