Watch CBS News

Ex-Manager Gets 6 Years For Stealing More Than $2M From Chemical Firm

(STMW) -- The former general manager of a west suburban chemical company was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday for stealing more than $2 million from the Melrose Park-based business.

Kathleen Barth also was ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution to Kraft Chemical Corporation after she pleaded guilty to theft, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office.

Barth, 56, of Chicago, had worked at Kraft Chemical from 2005 to 2012.

During her last six years with the company, she fraudulently padded her salary by giving herself unauthorized bonuses and commission checks, prosecutors said.

Barth, of the 1700 block of North Rutherford, also transferred funds from the company's checking account into a personal checking account.

Some of the money Barth stole went toward remodeling projects at her house, prosecutors said.

Officials at Kraft Chemical declined to comment about Barth's sentencing Tuesday.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.