Woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $470,000 from Schertz company

A 47-year-old San Antonio woman admitted in federal court Thursday to stealing more than $470,000 while working for a Schertz company.

Deanna Bates Wehde, who appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

Between May 2016 and September 2018, Wehde worked for Stone Care of Texas, where she obtained company credit cards issued to former employees for business-related travel, officials said.

Investigators said she used those cards to make unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals for herself.

Wehde faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft, and restitution to the company, officials said.

She remains on bond pending sentencing before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Orlando Garcia on Nov. 5.