Wright City Treasurer Megan Pohl was fired from her office on the evening of July 7 as she had been charged with two counts of felony stealing from her former employer, Hackmann Lumber.
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Wright City Treasurer Megan Pohl was fired from her office on the evening of July 7 as she had been charged with two counts of felony stealing from her former employer, Hackmann Lumber.
The charges were filed on March 24 in St. Peters where Pohl had previously worked in accounts payable with Hackmann Lumber. Wright City Mayor Michelle Heiliger said Pohl was placed on unpaid leave as soon as the city found out about the charges.
Heiliger declined further comment on Pohl’s employment with the city. Pohl was terminated in a special board meeting July 7.
According to the probable cause statement filed by St. Peters Police Officer Christopher Jamison, Pohl’s former employer called the department on Sept. 10, 2024 saying she had defrauded them of roughly $10,000 between April 2023 and March 2024.
Staff with the business showed officers how they had discovered the losses and Pohl’s employment was terminated with Hackmann Lumber on Sept. 11, 2024.
Pohl was hired by the city last year and started in her position on Dec. 2, 2024. Heiliger said the city was unaware Pohl had been fired from her previous employer when she was hired as treasurer.
According to the probable cause statement, Pohl reached out to her former employer on Sept. 16, conveying her desire to rectify the situation and expressing sorrow for what had happened.
On Oct. 30, 2024, Pohl conducted an interview with the St. Peters Police Department with her attorney present and waived her Miranda rights, explaining how she was able to move the funds providing bank statements. She also expressed her desire to cooperate with the investigation and pay restitution to her former employer, according to the probable cause statement.
The probable cause statement also said additional bank statements and a written confession were provided to the department on Dec. 5, 2024.
During the interview, Pohl said that as a member of the billing department, she was able to gather invoices of returned items that did not include credit or contact information.
According to the probable cause statement, these invoices could not be returned to the correct account due to the lack of information and Pohl made deposits into her personal account.
According to the probable cause statement, “Pohl stated her debt was due to a recent divorce from an abusive husband, and that she only intended to continue this fraud until she was able to complete her divorce. She stated after settling with her husband, she planned to pay the business back.”
The bank statements provided by Pohl indicated she had stolen $6,698 from the business between April and December 2023 and an additional $975 in February 2024.
According to Katie Rickerson, spokesperson for the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, Pohl was released on her own recognizance following the charges.
She is scheduled for a disposition hearing at the St. Charles County Courthouse on July 16.
