A woman who worked for a Traverse City-based packaging company siphoned more than $132,000 into her own account, including more than $9,500 for a business trip to China that she never took, according to charges.

Katherine Elizabeth Wooer faces a charge of false pretenses over $100,000 that carries up to 20 years in prison.

The 41-year-old Kingsley woman worked for Plascon Industries between May 2016 and April 2019 and was promoted to director of operations in 2018. Company officials became suspicious about her expense reports, which totaled over $170,000 in three years, and they launched an audit, according to the charges.

In all, the company determined Wooer submitted fraudulent invoices for parts, services and travel that totaled $132,572; in one case, she submitted expenses for airfare and hotel for a trip to China that totaled $9,568. She later admitted that she never took the trip, according to the charges.

Prosecutors allege that when she was confronted by company officials about the charges, she offered to pay back tens of thousands of dollars and to set up a payment plan.

Wooer faces a preliminary examination Oct. 8. The case was investigated by Michigan State Police.

"We are currently reviewing records to determine what may have happened,” says Wooer’s attorney, Paul Jarboe.