This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Pittsburgh • A cashier at a Pittsburgh monuments and engraving firm stole at least $9.5 million from the company during the 16 years she worked there, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

Prosecutors say Cynthia Mills, 55, stole the money while working for Matthews International Corp. from 1999 to 2015. They say she cashed checks made out to Matthews, or had them routed to a bank account of a bogus company she controlled.

Mills was charged Wednesday with mail and wire fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. Defense attorney Phil DiLucente said he plans to comment on the charges later Wednesday

The company said in a 2015 financial report that a former employee was suspected of stealing $14 million, and prosecutors filed petitions to seize a $645,000 yacht, two Mercedes automobiles and a Ford Focus Mills allegedly bought with the money.

A spokesman for Matthews said the company has been cooperating with federal authorities since the theft investigation began and is now "fully focused on the recovery of funds."

Authorities didn't immediately explain the discrepancy in the alleged theft amount.

Prosecutors have filed a 65-page exhibit listing scores of items to be seized, including three homes, the yacht and two other boats, at least eight cars, a snowmobile and three motorcycles. Additional items include 19 leather, mink, fox, chinchilla or raccoon coats, dozens of designer Louis Vuitton handbags and dozens of pieces of jewelry.

Authorities contend those items, and others, were bought with the stolen money.

DiLucente said a change of plea hearing is scheduled in the case for March 15. He said Mills will change the not-guilty plea she plans to enter when she's arraigned to a guilty plea at the March hearing.

Matthews International is a publicly traded company with more than 10,000 employees at 100 facilities on six continents, according to its website.