Pine Mountain Woman Sentenced for Embezzling Over $450,000 From Real Estate Firm

Pine Mountain Woman Sentenced for Embezzling Over 0,000 From Real Estate Firm — Lauren Williams Eldridge (from linkedin profile)

A former office manager for Keller Williams Realty River Cities has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison after admitting she stole over $450,000 from the company to pay off her personal credit card.

Lauren Williams Eldridge, 38, of Pine Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced on June 18 to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Clay Land also ordered Eldridge to pay $453,876.64 in restitution to her former employer. She pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud on January 29, 2025.

Eldridge worked for nine years as the office manager and bookkeeper for Keller Williams Realty River Cities (KW). According to court documents, company representatives discovered irregularities in October 2022 involving funds being transferred between KW accounts. When questioned, Eldridge failed to offer a clear explanation and resigned shortly afterward.

In January 2023, law enforcement was notified. An investigation led by the FBI revealed that between January 2017 and September 2022, Eldridge made monthly electronic payments totaling $453,876.68 from KW accounts to her personal American Express card.

In December 2022, Eldridge admitted to company representatives and their legal counsel that she had embezzled the funds, stating that her original intention was to repay the money. She said the scheme began after she charged $30,000 to her credit card for home repairs.

“The repercussions of employee theft are often felt beyond the prosecution, negatively affecting businesses, their customers and the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Fraud and theft will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.”

“For years, Eldridge used her company’s funds like her personal ATM,” added FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “She will now have more than two years behind bars to consider the impact of her actions.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Hostetler prosecuted the case.