Medford, OR. — An Oregon woman has been sentenced to federal prison for embezzling more than $250,000 from her employer and evading federal taxes, according to court records.
Notja Michelle Brower, 53, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $310,106 in restitution to her victims.
Court documents show that Brower was hired in July 2018 as a bookkeeper and office manager for a local business. Within a month, prosecutors said, she began issuing herself unauthorized company checks and taking cash payments. She altered business records to disguise the thefts as legitimate expenses and payroll draws.
Investigators also found that Brower fraudulently opened a credit card in the personal name of a business owner and used it to pay for more than $20,000 in personal expenses, including travel, casino visits, restaurants, and exotic car rentals. Payments on the card were made using the company’s business account.
In addition, for tax years 2018 and 2019, Brower failed to report the embezzled funds as income, resulting in more than $250,000 in unreported income and $57,705 in unpaid federal taxes.
A federal grand jury indicted Brower in April 2024 on charges including bank fraud, wire fraud, unauthorized use of an access device, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion. She pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of bank fraud and one count of tax evasion.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division and the Medford Police Department, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
About the Author
