Stealing Brings Montana Woman Four-Year Sentence

A Helena, Mont., woman who used a check scheme to steal nearly $158,000 from her employer has been sentenced to four years in prison.

A federal judge imposed the sentence on 43-year-old Margaret Blixt, and ordered $157,710 in restitution plus 300 hours of community service.

Blixt stole from Atlanta-based Crawford & Co., an insurance-claims management business with an office in Helena. She received payments due Crawford, deposited them in a bank here and stole funds between March 2003 and August 2004 through the check scheme, which included forging her boss’s signature.

Her actions were discovered after Valley Bank questioned some transactions.

Blixt was convicted of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in February.