A woman accused of embezzling more than $240,000 from the Texas dental practice where she worked was sentenced to 41 months in U.S. prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Jennifer Lynn Thornton, 45, a former financial coordinator at a dental practice in Houston who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July 2023, was ordered to pay $1,000 in special assessments. Restitution will be assessed in the future. Thornton remains on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility soon, according to a press release dated January 16 from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
"I don't believe you have proper respect for authority," Senior U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt said during Thornton's sentencing, according to the press release. "The harm you caused to the victims was very personal."
In July 2021, the dentist owner, who had been in practice for 38 years, began a thorough review of his company accounts to prepare for retirement. During the review, he discovered that Thornton had reportedly been stealing from him, according to the release.
Thornton, of Hockley, TX, allegedly created a shell company called SGS Healthcare and diverted insurance company payments intended for the dental practice to this account. Additionally, Thorton purportedly manipulated the company books to conceal that she had been taking cash payments that patients had made to the practice, according to the release.
A private auditor hired by the dentist identified $243,597 in losses, according to the release.
