High-end interior designer from St. Louis gets 15 months in federal prison for fraud

ST. LOUIS A high-end interior designer who admitted bilking clients including former Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen out of almost $1 million was sentenced Friday to 15 months in federal prison.

Kay T. Ottinger, 52, of St. Louis, inflated invoices for clients of her company, Well Appointed Inc., by as much as 100 percent and created fake bills to rip off her clients, officials said.

One of those clients, businessman David Payne, told U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey during the sentencing hearing that he believed Ottinger actually stole more than $1 million from his family alone. Payne said Ottinger was supposed to get paid for the cost of the improvements plus a 20 percent fee. Instead, she doubled the bills and still added her 20 percent, he said.

Calling her a sociopath who was incapable of telling the truth, Payne said Ottinger played on the familys emotions, used prayer and religion, used their three young children as puppets and played Payne against his wife. He asked Autrey for the maximum possible sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Reap told Autrey, Every person this woman touched, she took advantage of.

Ottinger, in a quiet voice, said she regretted her actions and asked for Autreys mercy.

Her lawyer, David Harlan, said that she would not commit another crime and should be granted some alternative to prison time. He said she suffers from a series of chronic medical and mental health conditions that a prison might have trouble treating.

But Autrey opted for 15 months and ordered her to pay restitution of more than $980,000. Under the federal sentencing guidelines for the three mail fraud charges to which she pleaded guilty, she faced 15 to 21 months in prison.

In addition to Rolen and Payne, prosecutors say Ottinger cheated the wife of ex-Blues player Doug Weight by inflating an invoice by $20,175, although she did not plead guilty on that count.

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High-end interior designer from St. Louis gets 15 months in federal prison for fraud