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former bookkeeper and office manager at Keller Williams Realty River Cities in Columbus has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for embezzling over $453,000 from the agency. Lauren Eldridge, 38, of Pine Mountain, will also serve three years of supervised release after her prison term. She was ordered to pay back the full amount she stole.

    Eldridge pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud in January. According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Eldridge used company funds as if they were her personal ATM for nearly a decade. The scheme came to light when agency representatives noticed discrepancies with an account in October 2022. An investigation revealed that Eldridge had been making monthly electronic payments of $453,876.68 from the agency's accounts to her personal American Express credit card between January 2017 and September 2022.

    Eldridge admitted to using the stolen money to pay off her personal credit card balance every month, initially intending to repay the funds after charging $30,000 for home repairs. The U.S. Attorney's office emphasized that employee theft has far-reaching consequences, affecting businesses, customers, and the community.