A Dakota County resident, 53 year old, Julie A. Lee, of Farmington, entered a guilty plea in a federal court in St. Paul on charges that she embezzled more than $1Million dollars from the St. Paul Town and Country Club, through more than 8 years as the comptroller. The plea means that a trial set for May will not take place. Her position at the Club provided the woman with access to and authority over financial dealings on behalf of the club which contributed to charges of wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Accounts were managed to hide the discrepencies by taking out a line of credit at a local bank and Lee reportedly hid shortages by filing payroll tax returns late, exposing the club to hefty interest penalties paid to the IRS. A sentencing date will be forthcoming.
