A former Democratic congressional aide fraudulently allocated public funds to increase his salary and award himself bonuses, receiving almost $80,000 in unauthorized payments, according to the Justice Department.
Sterling Carter, who worked for Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, pleaded guilty Thursday to the theft of public funds after tampering with office communications and budget spreadsheets to pay himself more than he was owed for more than a year.
In his position as director of operations, Carter was responsible for managing the office budget and processing payroll for all employees — evading detection from Schneider and the chief of staff by authorizing his own salary increase and inputting false data that showed he was only being paid his original salary, the Justice Department said.
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After continuing this ruse from November 2019 to January 2021, Carter received $79,491.67 in unauthorized payments pulled from public funds the office received, according to court documents.
The former government employee will be sentenced July 28 and faces up to 10 years in prison.
