KENTWOOD, Mich. — The manager of a Kentwood trucking firm accused of embezzlement has waived her preliminary examination. Her attorney says that means the case has now been bound over to Kent County Circuit Court.
According to a 62-B District Court document obtained by FOX 17, Mary Beth Knapp, 55, received a plea offer to one count of Embezzlement over $100,000. She was manager for D & M Logistics.
In return for the plea, prosecutors would have dismissed two other counts of embezzlement of more than $100,000, and promised not to bring any additional charges.
The plea-offer sheet signed by Knapp also would have her paying restitution. Court documents indicate she was accused of stealing up to $539,000 from the trucking firm, dating back to Jan. 1, 2014.
A probable-cause affidavit filed in June said Knapp loaded Comdata Cards with fraudulent information. Those are cards that are used at truck stops for drivers to purchase fuel. Investigators said Knapp would take the bogus Comdata Cards to truck stops, and then obtain cash from the cards.
The affidavit said photo lineups were done at two local truck stops, and employees there identified Knapp as being the person who received cash from the cards on a weekly basis. The breakdown listed in the court document:
- In 2014: Comdata records show a loss totaling $204,613.
- In 2015: Losses totaling $215,977.
- In 2016: Losses totaling $118,286.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Knapp accepted the plea offer
