Former NC CEO accused of embezzling $15 million to fund lavish lifestyle
TAYLORSVILLE, NC (WSOC) — A Taylorsville woman has been charged in a wire fraud embezzlement scheme, according to court documents.
Donna Osowitt Steele is accused of embezzling more than $15 million from her employer, Tigra, in Hickory between 2013 and 2020.
The former CEO has been charged with embezzling more than $15 million from her employer and using stolen money to pay for a lavish lifestyle, including travel, jewelry and family weddings, according to the courts.
Steele also used stolen money to fund personal businesses run by her family, according to a court filing Friday by U.S. Attorney Dena King’s office.
Steele is charged with one count of wire fraud. Online court records don’t list an attorney for her or a date for an initial court appearance.
The company that employed Steele isn’t named in the court filing. But prosecutors said it’s a subsidiary of a foreign corporation and makes carbide products used in saw blades for the woodworking industry. The company owners live overseas, the filing says.
