KNOXVILLE—A federal grand jury in Knoxville has indicted a former security officer at a federal site in Oak Ridge for allegedly stealing U.S. government property and money laundering, officials said Thursday.
Sarah Parker, 52, of Dandridge, Tennessee, was indicted Tuesday, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a press release. Parker was employed as an officer for security contractor Wackenhut Services Inc. at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in Oak Ridge.
She appeared in court on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley Jr. and pleaded not guilty to the charges in the three-count indictment, Killian said. She was released pending trial, which has been set for February 17, 2015, in United States District Court in Knoxville.
The indictment alleged that Parker converted $214,022.59 to personal use through checks that she possessed through her employment at ETTP, Killian said. He said the indictment also alleged that Parker illegally engaged in financial transactions with the money, including the purchase of a vehicle for $39,608.97 and payment of $74,327.12 to Bank of America.
If convicted, Parker faces a term of 10 years in prison for each count. Killian said the indictment also states that Parker, upon conviction, may be required to forfeit any property that is traceable to the alleged offenses.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Dale Jr. will represent the United States.
“Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Killian said.
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