Calera man pleads guilty in embezzlement case

(Tulsa-AP) -- A Calera man has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly 500-thousand dollars from a Tulsa funeral service.

Forty-four-year-old Russell Alan Guiou pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges of forgery, bank fraud, submitting false income tax returns and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.

Guiou admitted that from 1995 to 1999 he falsely completed checks belonging to the funeral service and then depositing them into accounts he controlled. He also admitted to stealing checks made out to the funeral service and depositing them into his personal accounts.

He said he used the money for vacations, cars, jewelry, furniture and a cabin retreat.

Guiou is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Fitzgerald-Arnold Moore Funeral Service in Tulsa says it is financially stable despite the loss and prepaid accounts were not affected.