For seven years, Monica Svobodny enjoyed many perks such as designer clothing, spa services, and luxury hotel stays. All on her company's dime. But now, the gavel has fallen.

The Eden Prairie woman has pled guilty to one count of wire fraud for embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, a furniture manufacturer.

U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger said that Svobodny, 51, worked as the Supply Chain and Engineering Manager at a furniture manufacturing company located in Edina, Minnesota. The company is Sico Inc., a manufacturer of furnishings for the Education, Hospitality, and Convention Centers, Stadiums, & Arena markets. An FDMC 300 company, Sico ranks #141 on the list with $55.8 million in sales.  

According to court documents, Svobodny used her managerial position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. The attorney said that she used company credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses. To cover her fraud, she left unapproved credit card expenses as “pending” for accounting purposes. On more than 300 occasions, she used company cards to transfer funds to herself via PayPal to cover personal expenses. Svobodny also edited PayPal transaction receipts and fraudulently listed some of the expenses as payments to a defunct company.

In total, Svobodny knowingly and willfully embezzled more than $1,137,000 over seven years.

Svobodny pleaded guilty April 11 in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud before Judge Ann D. Montgomery. The case was investigated by the Edina Police Department with assistance from the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker.

A sentencing date was not released.