Accountant sentenced to 2 years in prison for stealing more than $715,000 from dermatology practice

A former Spokane Dermatology Clinic accountant was sentenced Wednesday to two years in federal prison for stealing more than $715,000 from the medical practice, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Eastern Washington.

The release said Carol D. Casilla, who worked at the clinic from 2020 to 2023, used her position to fraudulently issue company checks to herself and deposit them into her personal accounts and made electronic funds transfers using company money toward her personal credit cards, according to court documents and information presented at Casilla’s sentencing.

Some of the transfers were made to a fictitious company that Casilla created to make it appear that the transfers were for legitimate company expenditures, according to court documents. Casilla made hundreds of fraudulent transfers in this manner.

Casilla pleaded guilty last November to wire fraud after being indicted that summer on 47 other counts, which were dismissed in exchange for her plea.

U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed three years of supervised release and $715,255 in restitution to the victims.

“Ms. Casilla betrayed her employer’s trust and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref said in the release. “Accountants and financial professionals like Ms. Casilla are given a significant amount of control over a company’s finances. This sentence should send a message that those who abuse their positions of trust to enrich themselves will be held accountable.”

The sentencing comes on the heels of a 23-count federal indictment last month against Dermatologist Dr. William “Phil” Werschler, who owns Spokane Dermatology Clinic. Werschler is accused of defrauding taxpayers of $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief money to buy expensive items for himself.

Werschler’s attorney, Ronald Van Wert, denied any wrongdoing and said in a statement last month the indictment against Werschler is based on “misinformation” from Casilla, who “made false allegations against Dr. Werschler in an attempt to reduce her prison exposure,” according to Van Wert.