Gentry woman sentenced to federal prison for Tyson thefts

FAYETTEVILLE -- A Gentry woman was sentenced to federal prison Thursday for stealing more than half a million dollars from Tyson Foods.

Brenda Blair, 48, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to two years and four months, followed by two years of supervised release on one count of wire fraud. She was ordered to pay $551,343 restitution.

Blair pleaded guilty Sept. 4.

According to the plea agreement, Blair was an employee of Tyson in Springdale for more than 25 years. As the Special Benefits Plan manager, Blair managed contributions into and handled administrative duties related to the company's Pre-65 Retiree Health Insurance Benefit Plan.

"Tyson Foods held the defendant, Brenda Blair, in high regard and she was a trusted employee of the company prior to the discovery of the scheme to defraud instituted by the defendant during the course of her tenure with the company," according to her plea agreement filed in September.

From June 2005 to September 2014, Blair devised and implemented a scheme to generate fraudulent payments in the name of participants in the plan and direct those payments to several bank accounts she maintained. The scheme resulted in defrauding the company of more than $550,000.

When questioned by federal agents, Blair admitted the scheme, according to court documents. Part of Blair's plea agreement called for her to take all steps necessary to help the government locate any stolen money, or substitute assets in instances where Blair spent the money, and return it to Tyson Foods.

Judge Tim Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing. This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS and the federal Department of Labor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Davis prosecuted the case.

General News on 01/13/2016