A man from Alton was sentenced Tuesday to six months behind bars and six months of house arrest for defrauding a St. Louis restaurant owner of more than $140,000. Thomas H. Vogt, 60, worked for Nathalie Pettus, owner of Overlook Farm in Clarksville and the now-closed Central West End restaurant Nathalie's. He sought reimbursement for expenses that her company had already paid, according to his guilty plea.
Vogt apologized in federal court Tuesday to Pettus and her family, who were present. He said that he had borrowed from relatives to repay the money, information confirmed by his lawyer, John Stobbs, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Albus. U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig credited Vogt for his lack of a criminal record and the restitution he paid, but said the loss amount in the case was understated.
In a victim impact letter, Pettus wrote that Vogt's crime had taken a "devastating toll" on herself and her family. She wrote that she spent $56,573 on lawyers and accountants because of Vogt and had to sell some of her property. Vogt, she wrote, did substandard construction work on the farm to maximize his profits and misled her about work being done. Vogt bullied staff and "engineered" the termination of employees who raised suspicions, she wrote.