Augusta woman who stole more than $1.7 million pleads guilty to RICO

A woman who stole more than $1.73 million from her ex-husband’s construction company was sentenced to five years in prison Friday. Heather Boggus pleaded guilty in Columbia County Superior Court to violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

She stole from Jeb Boggus Construction, where she worked as a bookkeeper between Jan. 1, 2007, and Feb. 14, 2015. In October 2013, she married Jerome “Jeb” Boggus Jr. while she was still married to Gary Nicholson, of H&N Construction.

Boggus covered her theft by claiming she was collecting an inheritance of about $50,000 a month. In reality, the money came from Boggus Construction’s various accounts. The money paid for lavish possessions, a helicopter and yachts.

Through fraudulent documents, and reports of expenses and payments, identity fraud, and credit card theft and fraud, Boggus funneled money into accounts she controlled such as the business she created, 3 AM, according to the indictment.

Read more: http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/crime-courts/2016-08-19/augusta-woman-who-stole-more-17-million-pleads-guilty-rico?v=1471662605