GREAT FALLS — Lynn Bapp Tempel, the finance manager of William Tempel Construction, was sentenced in federal court in Great Falls on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.
Tempel, 60 years old, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to wire fraud.
Prosecutors alleged that Tempel managed the finances of William Tempel Construction. The victim in the case hired Tempel and paid $4.41 million to build a "dream home."
Instead, Tempel stole money from the victim from 2013 to 2016.
When caught, Tempel did not admit her fraud, but falsified 153 subcontractor invoices to cover up her scheme. Tempel provided to the victim invoices in which she had fraudulently inflated the amount of payment required.
Tempel also withdrew $566,848 in cash from the company’s business account during the period of the fraud.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris sentenced Tempel to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised released, U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said in a news release.
Morris also ordered restitution and set a subsequent hearing to determine the full amount. A plea agreement calls for Tempel to be responsible for complete restitution, which the government estimated is $519,524.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Great Falls Police Department.
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