A Kalispell woman who embezzled almost $500,000 from a local company was sentenced last week to 14 months in federal prison to be followed by tr years of supervised release.

Rita Ann Pierce, 59, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to wire fraud.

The government alleged in court documents that Pierce Manufacturing is a family-owned business that began in 1974. The company began as a welding shop but morphed into a manufacturing shop. This case arose because Pierce Manufacturing was unable to figure out why it was not making any money. The company ordered an audit, which uncovered that Pierce was embezzling money.

 When stealing the money, Pierce was the bookkeeper. She covered the fraud by entering fraudulent names in the ledger and making the transactions appear legitimate despite the money flowing into her private bank account. 

The investigation determined Pierce embezzled approximately $496,881 between 2016 and 2020.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.