Former Auto Dealership Office Manager Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for $1.4 Million Embezzlement

Topics:  Ralph L. Schippers, Granger Motors

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Iowa
January 17, 2013

DES MOINES, IA—Ralph L. Schippers, age 58, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Schippers also was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,433,825.37 and was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following release from prison. Sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey.

Schippers pleaded guilty to the charge on September 17, 2012, and admitted to embezzling more than $1.4 million from his employer, Granger Motors, over a 14-year period. Schippers accomplished the fraud by manipulating the dealership’s accounting system and causing money to be wired or deposited to his personal bank account, making fraudulent journal entries in order to conceal the fraud. Schippers was the dealership’s office manager and, as such, was responsible for managing the dealership’s accounting systems, payroll management, and similar tasks. Schippers admitted that he used some of the embezzled funds to purchase goods and services for himself and his family, including international airline tickets, hotel accommodations, meals at Des Moines-area restaurants, golf-related items, and jewelry.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation–Des Moines Resident Agency and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.