Woman sentenced to 15 months for embezzling $350K from Dells-Delton Fire and EMS Commission

WISCONSIN DELLS -- A 54-year-old woman accused of embezzling more than $350,000 from the Wisconsin Dells Fire and EMS Commission, was sentenced Wednesday, Aug. 14 to 15 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

United States District Judge William Conley also ordered Stephanie Czuprynko to pay $358,233.42 in restitution.

Officials say Czuprynko worked as the secretary/bookkeeper for the Delton Fire Department Commission and Dells-Delton Emergency Services Commission  In November of 2018, Lake Delton police confronted her with the missing money in the checking accounts and she confessed to stealing the funds.

The total loss amounted to $358,233.42, and spanned from Feb. 1, 2016 to Nov. 16, 2018. Czuprynko provided spreadsheets to the police detailing her thefts.

During her sentencing hearing, Judge Conley noted that Czuprynko’s embezzlement violated the trust of her employer, the trust of the public in its institutions, and placed the whole community at risk because of a lack of funds to provide Fire and EMS services.

After the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Scott Blader added, “My office is committed to holding accountable those who abuse the public trust for their own personal gain.”