HUTCHINSON, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – Jennifer Lee Rath, 53, has been sentenced to nearly 3½ years in prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud in U.S. District Court in St. Paul. Rath, formerly the financial controller at R&R Excavating in Hutchinson, Minnesota, exploited her employer’s trust over a six-year period, embezzling $2 million. She used the stolen funds to cover personal expenses, including extravagant credit card bills, her son’s mortgage payments, and financing her husband’s off-road racing business.
The sentencing, which also includes three years of supervised release and full restitution, highlighted the betrayal felt by the company’s owner, Brent Reiner, who considered Rath a part of his family. Rath’s actions severely impacted the company, leading to financial strain, job losses, and damaged reputation.
Judge Jerry Blackwell expressed particular concern over Rath’s breach of trust with a longtime friend and employer, emphasizing the personal and financial devastation caused by her fraudulent activities.
Must've put a decimal point in the wrong wrong place.