By M. Scott Carter

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A Moore woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $200,000 from an outdoor advertising firm, officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Oklahoma announced Friday.

Angela M. Smith, 42, of Moore, appeared in federal district court and pleaded guilty to a scheme to defraud Lamar Central Outdoor by cashing checks written to Lamar from its customers and changing information in Lamar's computer system to hide her embezzlement.

Law enforcement officials said Smith was employed as office manager at Lamar's offices in Oklahoma City and handled checks made payable to Lamar from Lamar's advertising customers.

On April 30, 2003, officials said Smith gave written authorization on Lamar letterhead to a check-cashing business in Oklahoma City to cash checks for Lamar for any purpose.

"Starting in about April of 2004, she took checks made payable to Lamar to the check-cashing business, obtained cash in exchange for the checks, and used some or all of the cash for her own purposes rather than for the benefit of Lamar," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott E. Williams.

Williams said Smith used a computer in Oklahoma City to access Lamar's computer database in Baton Rouge, La., and fraudulently changed accounts receivable information for Lamar customers whose checks she had recently cashed.

He said Smith acknowledged that she caused more than $200,000 in losses.

Since then, Smith has pleaded guilty and faces a maximum potential penalty of twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution to Lamar.

Sentencing will take place in about 90 days.

Williams said the case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

M. Scott Carter 366-3545 scarter@normantranscript.com