Crime

Independence man sent to prison for $247,000 theft from North Kansas City company

An Independence man was sentenced Monday to more than two years in prison for embezzling thousands of dollars whil he served as financial comptroller of BCC Merchant Solutions in North Kansas City.
An Independence man was sentenced Monday to more than two years in prison for embezzling thousands of dollars whil he served as financial comptroller of BCC Merchant Solutions in North Kansas City. THE STAR

An Independence man was sentenced Monday to two years and three months in prison for embezzling more than $247,000 from his then-employer.

John S. Kruse, 48, stole the money while working as financial comptroller of BCC Merchant Solutions in North Kansas City.

The embezzlement occurred over a four-year period until July 2014, when Kruse resigned, according to federal prosecutors.

He pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to a charge of wire fraud.

Prosecutors said Kruse used stolen money to pay for trips to Las Vegas and Disneyland as well as for personal expenses, including gasoline, groceries and entertainment.

As part of Monday’s sentencing, he was ordered to make restitution to the company.

Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Independence man sent to prison for $247,000 theft from North Kansas City company."

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