Kentucky accountant who fled embezzlement case to appeal


Save Story

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

CINCINNATI (AP) — A defense attorney apparently plans to appeal an eight-year prison sentence for a Kentucky accountant who spent most of six years as a fugitive in an $8.7 million embezzlement case roaming the Appalachian Trail.

A notice of plans to appeal was filed Tuesday in Cincinnati for 54-year-old James Hammes (HAM'-uhs).

U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott (duh-LAHT') sentenced Hammes June 22.

The eight-year sentence was higher than what prosecutors had recommended. Hammes must also pay restitution and be on probation for three years afterward.

Dlott cited the large amount of money, Hammes' flight to avoid prosecution, and the "collateral damage" he caused to his family.

Hammes pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud, and the government dropped 74 counts.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most recent U.S. stories

Related topics

The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Notice.
    Newsletter Signup

    KSL Weather Forecast

    KSL Weather Forecast
    Play button