A Lexington woman pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to wire fraud after prosecutors said she spent nearly seven years charging hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal expenses to a horse farm’s business credit card, including airline tickets, designer clothing and a country club membership.
Christina Lynch admitted in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky that she misused a business credit card entrusted to her while working as a bookkeeper and expense manager for a horse farm in Paris, Kentucky, according to court records and a plea agreement filed in the case.
Federal prosecutors said Lynch used the card between October 2017 and July 2024 for personal purchases totaling $691,257.89, then caused the farm to pay off the balances by falsely representing the charges as legitimate business expenses.
Lynch formally waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud during a combined arraignment and rearraignment hearing before U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell. She remains on bond while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for May 13 in Lexington.
According to the plea agreement, Lynch’s job duties at the farm included bookkeeping and managing expenses. The farm provided her access to a business credit card issued by First National Bank of Omaha that was to be used exclusively for farm-related costs.
Instead, prosecutors said Lynch used the card to make a wide range of personal purchases from online retailers including Amazon, Nordstrom, Instacart and Lululemon. She also used the card to pay for airline tickets and to fund a country club membership.
To cover the charges, Lynch caused payments to be sent from the farm’s bank account to the credit card account under what prosecutors described as a “materially false pretense” that the expenses were legitimate business costs. The scheme relied on interstate wire transmissions, including online transactions and electronic payments, according to court filings.
As part of the plea agreement, Lynch agreed to a forfeiture money judgment of $691,257.89, representing the proceeds of the fraud. She also agreed to pay restitution, though prosecutors and the defense said the final restitution amount — after accounting for any money or property already returned — is expected to fall between $234,144.89 and $350,000, with the exact figure to be determined at sentencing.
The wire fraud charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss amount, and up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing guidelines calculations included in the plea agreement reflect enhancements tied to the loss amount and Lynch’s abuse of a position of trust, as well as potential reductions for acceptance of responsibility.
Lynch is represented by Frankfort attorney J. Guthrie True. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Smith is prosecuting the case.
Court records show no additional counts were filed, and Lynch waived her right to appeal her conviction or sentence except under limited circumstances.
