WHITEFISH, Mont.- An interior designer in Whitefish has admitted to charges related to a fraudulent scheme. Jennifer Michele Helm, also known as Jennifer Michele, 45, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
She could face a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release for wire fraud, and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for aggravated identity theft.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 14, 2024, pending court review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Helm was detained pending further proceedings.
According to the government’s allegations, Helm, while working for various businesses such as Sage Interior Designs, LLC, Interior Design Services, and Jennifer Michele LLC, defrauded around 12 customers of approximately $900,000 between 2016 and 2023.
She entered agreements with customers to provide goods and services, often promising to order furnishings and fixtures for construction and remodeling projects.
In some cases, Helm presented clients with invoices for items she never ordered, and customers never received.
She also convinced a married couple to provide their credit card information, which she used for personal transactions instead of the promised purchases.
During FBI interviews, Helm accepted responsibility for misappropriating funds and acknowledged that she had deposited money from unauthorized credit card transactions into her personal bank account.
However, she couldn’t recall the exact number of unauthorized transactions made with the card.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot is prosecuting the case, and the FBI conducted the investigation.