U. S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming | US Attorney - Eastern District of Missouri
U. S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming | US Attorney - Eastern District of Missouri
Sarah Lynn Tweedie, now 49, has been extradited from Scotland to face charges of embezzling $165,000 from a St. Louis-area company. Tweedie, who was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on June 21, 2018, faces multiple counts of fraud and identity theft.
According to the indictment, Tweedie, while working as a controller at a St. Louis area publishing company, engaged in various fraudulent activities between July 2017 and January 2018. This included using company funds for personal expenses such as a Scottish kilt and a premium seat upgrade on a flight, as well as purchasing Amazon gift cards.
Tweedie's deceit extended to inflating her own salary and claiming unauthorized expense reimbursements. The indictment also revealed that she misled her employer by fabricating a family emergency in order to leave for Scotland, where she had applied for a visa to live with her fiancé.
Despite being arrested on July 9, 2019, Tweedie fought extradition until her final appeal was denied in March. She was then escorted to St. Louis by United States Marshals. In court, Tweedie, also known as Sarah Jauregui, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The investigation into Tweedie's actions was a joint effort between the Florissant Police Department, the FBI, and Scotland's Prosecution Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is leading the prosecution in this case.
As per the standard legal disclaimer, the charges brought against Tweedie are accusations, and she is considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.