Lansing, MI - On Thursday, January 18, 2024, Nancy Caviston, 76, of Superior Charter Township, was arraigned on charges of embezzlement and wage and benefit violations before the 35th District Court in Wayne County, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
As operator of The Caviston Agency, Inc., a Plymouth insurance agency, Caviston is alleged to have misappropriated payroll deductions of two long-term employees meant to serve as IRA contribution withholdings toward her personal and business expenses. It is also alleged that she failed to make the required employer matching contributions toward those IRA accounts.
The investigation into Caviston was conducted by the federal Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration. She has been charged with the following:
- Two counts of Embezzlement by an Agent, $1,000-$20,000, a 5-year felony, and
- Two counts of Wages and Fringe Benefits Violations, a 90-day misdemeanor.
“Payroll fraud is an insidious offense that can go undetected for years without the victim employee becoming aware,” said Nessel. “Working Michiganders should be able to trust that their deductions are going toward their rightful purposes, especially retirement funds they intend to rely on in their post-career years. I am thankful for the investigative efforts of the federal Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration for their watchful eye on the hard-earned wages and benefits of employees, and to the prosecutors in my office for bringing these significant charges of embezzlement.”
Caviston was given a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and will next appear before Judge James Plakas in the 35th District Court for a probable cause conference on February 2nd, 2024.