Woman accused of stealing $157,000 from Eagle River hockey association

By Matt Tunseth, Alaska Star

Updated: May 8, 2018 Published: May 8, 2018

Jennifer Suchan appears in Anchorage District Court July 14, 2017 after she was charged with stealing from the Mustang Hockey Association while employed as the youth hockey association’s volunteer treasurer. On May 7, 2018, federal prosecutors filed felony wire fraud charges against Suchan in federal court. (Alaska Star file photo/Kirsten Swann)

Update, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday: A plea agreement between federal prosecutors and Jennifer Suchan was filed Tuesday in the District Court of Alaska. The agreement outlines how Suchan went about stealing the Mustang Hockey Association's money and how she spent it.

Read the updated story here.

Original story:

Federal prosecutors have filed felony fraud charges against an Eagle River woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a local youth hockey association.

Jennifer Suchan, 33, was charged Monday with three counts of wire fraud for allegedly embezzling $157,079 from the Mustang Hockey Association while she served as volunteer treasurer from 2014-17.

Suchan was originally charged in state court after her alleged theft was uncovered by the association's president in June of 2017. State charges were dropped in December, with prosecutors saying they needed more time to evaluate the case.

According to charging documents filed Monday, Suchan allegedly forged the signature of a MHA board member on at least 140 checks, which she made payable to herself. According to the charging documents, each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.