In a case that exposes a calculated criminal maneuver within the hospitality industry, Angelique Patterson, a former assistant general manager at a Richmond Heights hotel, was sentenced on Thursday to 39 months in prison for orchestrating a financial fraud scheme, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey also ordered Patterson to repay $226,882, the amount she illicitly siphoned from the hotel and its patrons. Patterson, 40, admitted to falsifying hotel reservation records and misusing customer payment details between March and October of 2023.
Executing her fraud, Patterson manipulated the hotel's reservation system to alter guest records, making it appear as if customers used loyalty points rather than cash or credit cards for their stays. Her scheme unraveled when on Oct. 4, 2023, not scheduled to work, she attempted to fraudulently refund herself $61,998 using the hotel's desk computer and a coworker's credentials. Patterson's deceptive practices extended beyond the hotel to her private venture, Angel Entertains LLC, where from August to September of 2021, she employed hotel customers’ credit card information to make unauthorized charges, attempting to obtain $109,000 in the process.
The FBI's investigation brought Patterson's activities to a close, culminating in her guilty plea in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to five counts of wire fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwen Carroll and Cort VanOstran led the prosecution, ensuring that Patterson's fraudulent actions resulted in tangible consequences.
