News

Former Oklahoma Beef Council employee indicted on embezzlement

A former Oklahoma Beef Council accountant has been charged in federal court for allegedly stealing more than 2.6 million dollars from the organization over a seven-year period.

Melissa Day Morton was charged with two counts of bank fraud and false federal income tax return in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City.

According to legal documents, Morton forged 790 unauthorized checks, drawing money from business accounts into her personal account. Morton allegedly used the stolen money to fund a children’s clothing boutique she opened with her family.

The suspected embezzlement first came to light last September when the Oklahoma Beef Council announced an internal investigation into the organization’s financial records.