In a significant move against white-collar crime, Pamela J. Kahut, a former financial executive, has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The former Chief Financial Officer of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), Kahut, 68, who hails from Wilsonville, Oregon, was found guilty of swindling funds from her employer's health benefits trust account. The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed that along with her prison term, she's been ordered to pay back $211,083.27, which marks the total sum she pilfered, and a $10,000 fine.
As detailed in court documents obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, between October 2014 and September 2020, Kahut leveraged her control over the trust account, meant to cover health-related expenses, fees, and other charges for PSMFC employees. Funded partly through federal grants, the account was left vulnerable by her actions. Charged with using the stolen money to cover her spouse’s long-term care insurance premiums, settling her pension loans, and clearing credit card bills, Kahut pleaded guilty to Theft in Connection with Health Care on June 5, following an information charge on April 8.
The theft, bringing light to the shadows within which corruption often lurks, was unearthed through the collaborative efforts of federal agencies. The investigation, headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, culminated in the prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Trisotto.
