PORTLAND — The former office manager and bookkeeper for a La Grande medical practice pleaded guilty Tuesday, Sept. 1, for devising a scheme to defraud her employer, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.

Anndrea D. Jacobs, 49, pleaded guilty to filing a false personal income tax return, falsely impersonating an IRS employee, aggravated identity theft, and bank fraud as a joint resolution for two criminal cases.

The release said that beginning on or about January 2011 and continuing until her termination in December 2015, Jacobs used her position and access to the medical practice’s finances to steal money from the practice by, among other means, writing business checks to herself or for her own benefit. Jacobs used the stolen funds to make payments on personal credit cards and pay other personal expenses unrelated to the medical practice.

In an attempt to hide her actions, the release said, Jacobs prepared and maintained false business financial records, overstating expenses and estimated tax payments. She also opened a business bank account in the practice owner’s name; deposited a business check payable to the Oregon Department of Revenue into her own personal account; gave the practice owner falsified property tax statements with total due balances of zero; and convinced the practice owner to grant her limited power of attorney to handle the practice’s pending IRS tax collection action.

Jacobs also created a fictitious identity as an IRS Taxpayer Advocate, Linda Gibson, and established a phone number and voicemail account for the fictitious identity. Court documents reveal Jacobs claimed she was assisting the medical practice owner with his IRS tax collection issues while impersonating “Linda Gibson.”

In September 2018, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 15-count indictment charging Jacobs with wire fraud, filing false tax returns, aiding or assisting the preparation of false tax returns, falsely impersonating an employee of the U.S., and aggravated identity theft. On June 5, Jacobs’ pretrial release was revoked for committing bank fraud and on June 9, she was indicted a second time for the new fraud.

Jacobs remains in custody pending sentencing.

Under the terms of her plea agreement, Jacobs will join the U.S. Attorney’s Office in jointly recommending a four-year prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on Dec. 7 before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez.

Jacobs has also agreed to pay restitution in full to her victim as ordered by the court.