MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A Macomb County fence company owner pleaded no contest to charges in four different cases involving fraud and embezzlement.
Laura Dietz, 44, pleaded no contest to the following charges:
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- Embezzlement from a vulnerable adult, a 15-year felony
- False pretenses, a 5-year felony
- Non-sufficient funds check, a 2-year felony
As part of a plea deal, one additional false pretenses case was dismissed after she paid full restitution before charges were filed.
According to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, Deitz embezzled more than $93,000 from her father while she was his guardian. During that time, she allegedly did not pay for her father’s nursing home expenses and admitted to using the funds to repay victims from her fence company fraud cases.
Dietz, in two separate cases involving her business, allegedly accepted down payments from victims in St. Clair Shores and Shelby Township for residential fence installations. After accepting payment, totaling nearly $7,700, she reportedly failed to perform the contracted work and stopped contacting the victims.
The prosecutor’s office said she also issued a $11,751.14 check to Elite Fence Products, which was returned for insufficient funds. Despite repeated attempts by the business to resolve the matter, payment was never made.
Dietz is expected to be sentenced on Aug. 4.
She is also facing probation violations in at least two other fraud-related cases involving her fence company. She had been serving probation under a delayed sentencing agreement, which the prosecutor’s office said had since been revoked due to outstanding restitution obligations and the new felony charges.
Dietz could also be extradited to Winnebago County, Wisconsin, where she faces a pending charge of false pretenses.