Former Employee Sentenced To Prison For Making $460,000+ Of Unauthorized Company Credit Card Charges – September 11, 2020
Sheri Jelinek was an employee at the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD) from 2003 until January of 2017. After leaving her employment, ICAD employees discovered Jelinek had made more than $460,000 in improper or personal charges on ICAD credit cards over a period of several years.
Office Manager Embezzles $126,00+ For Personal Use – September 11, 2020
According to Mary Pickett’s plea agreement, between January 4, 2013, and September 20, 2019, while she was the office manager of the Boyd County Child Support Enforcement Office (BCCSEO), Pickett misappropriated BCCSEO funds for her own personal use and benefit. As part of Pickett’s scheme to embezzle BCCSEO funds, she submitted false payroll documents to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, falsely reporting that an employee had worked 40 hours per week, when in fact the employee had only worked 14 hours. Pickett then wrote herself checks for the difference. In total, Pickett embezzled $126,313.90. In connection with the scheme, Pickett also admitted to knowingly forging the signature of her supervisor, the contracting official of the BCCSEO, without his knowledge or permission.
Former Company Director Sentenced To Prison For $1.4 Million+ Embezzlement Scheme – September 10, 2020
Marc Marier worked for Driscoll’s, a company headquartered in Watsonville, Calif., that sells berries. The company hired Marier as its Director of Real Estate and Workplace Services in October 2017. Driscoll’s paid Marier to relocate from Illinois to California to accept the position.
About a month into his employment, Marier sought to clarify the scope of his invoice approval authority. Marier was informed that he had the authority to approve invoices of up to $250,000 by virtue of his director-level status at Driscoll’s. Within weeks, Marier started abusing that authority by submitting and approving false invoices from a fake business called TNC US Inc. and routing the payments to a shell J.P. Morgan Chase bank account that he created and maintained for TNC. TNC had no bona fide assets, no employees, and no business. Marier used TNC solely to further his scheme to embezzle funds from Driscoll’s. In total, Marier submitted at least fifteen false invoices to Driscoll’s between November 2017 and May 2018 and received approximately $1.49 million in payment for services that TNC never rendered.
Marier used the embezzled funds to make personal expenditures, including for a five-bedroom home in Naperville, Illinois; a GMC Yukon XL; and a $75,000 cashier’s check for his girlfriend. Marier resigned the day after he became aware of Driscoll’s internal investigation into the fraudulent invoices that he had submitted and approved. Driscoll’s then referred the case to the FBI.
Former Holiday Inn Employee Pleads Guilty To Stealing / Wire Fraud – September 10, 2020
Henry Williams was on supervised release following a 2016 conviction for bank fraud in the Western District of New York, when he began working at the front desk of the Holiday Inn. In January 2020, Williams began using the hotel’s Point of Sale machine fraudulently to load and attempt to load hundreds of thousands of dollars onto credit / debit cards that he controlled. The defendant impersonated various hotel managers while making phone calls to the hotel’s card payment processor in furtherance of his scheme. Williams also attempted to cover his tracks and conceal his involvement in the fraud by impersonating a hotel employee and making false complaints of criminal activity by another hotel employee.
The defendant successfully stole approximately $4,871.58 in fraudulent refunds. He also attempted over a period of time to obtain more than $840,000 in additional fraudulent refunds.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/rochester-man-guilty-defrauding-holiday-inn
Union Leader Sentenced For Embezzling $33,000+ Of Union Funds – September 10, 2020
Brian Arnold served as Financial Secretary with Steelworkers Local Union 104M, which represents approximately 75 workers at Anchor Glass Container Corporation, from September 2015 to August 2018. As financial secretary, Arnold was responsible for collecting dues checks, recording all receipts, maintaining receipts and disbursement records, writing and signing checks, and preparing an accurate account of all money received and paid out to report monthly to the union membership.
Between April 2016 and August 2018, Arnold embezzled $33,224.15 in union funds. The defendant made unauthorized purchases with the union’s debit card; made unauthorized ATM withdrawals from the union’s checking account; and wrote unauthorized checks to himself from the union’s checking account.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/union-leader-sentenced-embezzling-union-funds
Iron & Steel Company Owner Admits To Pocketing $570,000+ Of Employees Federal Withholding Taxes To Pay For Online Dating Website – September 9, 2020
PROVIDENCE – The owner of two Rhode Island businesses that supply steel and iron to construction sites today admitted that over a period of two years he intentionally failed to turn over to the IRS in excess of $570,000 in employment taxes withheld from his employees. Instead, he admitted, he used the funds to finance personal expenditures such as rent payments on a luxury home and online dating services.
Steven Allard who is the owner and operator of BR Steel Corporation and Greystone Iron Corporation, admitted to the court that from at least 2017 through 2018, he failed to turn over to the IRS federal employment taxes and FICA payments withheld from his employees, totaling in excess of $570,000. According to court documents, Allard used the money to pay for personal expenditures such as the purchase of over $216,000 in “credits” to an online dating website, RussianBrides.com, and $93,000 in rent payments for a luxury home.
In 2009 Allard pleaded guilty to tax evasion and bankruptcy fraud, and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Allard admitted to the court that from March 2005 to July 2006, he diverted for his and his wife’s personal use approximately $1.6 million dollars due the IRS in employment taxes. He also admitted to making false statements about real estate holdings in a bankruptcy filing in 2005.
Prior to his 2009 conviction, Allard was found guilty by a jury at trial of accepting kickbacks from public employees, and was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison.
Bookkeeper For Law Firm To Plead Guilty To Embezzling $749,000 And Fraudulently Collecting Disability Insurance Payments – September 9, 2020
Sarah Gaulin is a former employee of the law firm of Hamel, Waxler, Allen and Collins (HWAC). She allegedly devised and executed schemes to obtain law firm funds by preparing and cashing HWAC checks made payable to herself, which included the signature of a law firm partner which Gaulin signed without authorization; preparing HWAC checks payable to her own creditors; and preparing HWAC checks payable to law firm credit card companies for personal purchases she made.
It is alleged that from at least January 2012 to May 2019, Gaulin defrauded HWAC of approximately $740,953.
It is alleged in court documents that, in a separate scheme, Gaulin submitted fraudulent bank statements to a Rhode Island bank as part of a mortgage application she filed with the bank. It is alleged her submitted personal bank statements reflected a positive balance when in fact her actual account was routinely overdrawn. Additionally, it is alleged that she reflected her rent was among her monthly expenses she paid when in fact she had been using funds she illegally obtained from HWAC to make the payments.
In a third scheme, as detailed in court documents, it is alleged that from March 26, 2016, to July, 23, 2016, and from May 5, 2018, to August 11, 2018, Gaulin fraudulently collected approximately $19,588 in temporary disability insurance payments from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training by claiming she was unable to work due to injury or illness. Gaulin, in fact, remained employed during the time she was collecting the benefits.
Former County Prosecutor Charged With Obstruction of Justice Regarding His $75,000 Embezzlement Scheme – September 9, 2020
Former Prosecutor Eric Smith, of Macomb Township, was charged with obstruction of justice, a felony that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. The charge was based on an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that revealed that between 2012 and 2020, Smith conducted two fraud schemes to steal approximately $75,000 in cash from his political campaign fund to use for personal expenses. Then, when he became aware of a federal grand jury investigation in 2019, Smith began a campaign of a different sort, imploring witnesses to lie and commit perjury on his behalf to federal authorities and a federal grand jury.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/former-macomb-county-prosecutor-charged-obstruction-justice
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Sentenced To Prison For Stealing Nearly $40,000 In Postal Money Orders – September 9, 2020
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2017 and December 2018, Keith Sanford was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and worked on a rotating basis at the Granby, West Granby and East Hartland Post Offices. Between April and December 2018, Sanford issued 139 postal money orders totaling $39,937.02 to himself and, in certain instances, his associates, without remitting payment for them. Sanford received all of the proceeds from this scheme. The judge ordered Sanford to pay full restitution.
Former Credit Union Employee Charged With Embezzling $599,000+ – September 9, 2020
Audrey Elkins is charged with one count of embezzlement. The crime is alleged to have occurred November 2010 to November 2017 in Cowley County, Kanas.
The indictment alleges that while she was an employee of William Newton Memorial Hospital Credit Union she stole more than $599,000. The indictment alleges she created fictitious loans and converted the money to her own use.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/indictment-winfield-woman-embezzled-more-599000
Former IRS Employee Pleads Guilty To Filing Hundreds Of False Tax Returns – – September 9, 2020
Jennifer True was employed by the Internal Revenue Service for over 22 years. In her position as a Lead Contact Representative, she assisted team members in responding to difficult and complex taxpayer inquiries. Throughout her employment, True was trained in tax law, ethics, information protection and disclosure, privacy, identity theft and identity protection.
True electronically filed over 500 tax returns for herself and other taxpayers between 2012 and 2018, in violation of IRS rules prohibiting employees from “Engaging in the preparation of tax returns for compensation, gift, or favor.” True admitted that between approximately February 2012 and April 2018, she prepared or assisted in preparing and filing of at least 70 IRS Forms 1040 – U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns – for herself and other taxpayers that True knew contained materially false items such as false individual retirement account deductions, false medical expenses, false and inflated unreimbursed business expenses and/or false tax preparation fees. Some returns also included false child and dependent care credits. As a result of the false deductions claimed on the returns, the tax obligations of True and those individuals whose false returns she prepared was reduced.
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Admits To Stealings Cash And Gift Cards From Mail – September 8, 2020
Elizabeth Urbani was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and most recently was a mail carrier. Beginning in December 2019, some USPS customers along Urbani’s mail route submitted complaints that their mail was missing or had been stolen. Subsequent investigation revealed that, in January and February 2020, Urbani opened approximately 125 pieces of mail and stole cash and gift cards contained within several of those mail pieces.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/former-usps-employee-admits-stealing-cash-and-gift-cards-mail
Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty To Healthcare Fraud – September 8, 2020
Jami Mayhew admitted at the plea hearing that from May 30 to June 26, 2017, the nurse practitioner knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud Medicare by performing medically unnecessary visits in nursing homes.
Mayhew carried out the fraudulent scheme by seeing nursing home residents multiple times, examining them for only a few minutes at a time, generating progress notes she knew contained
misrepresentations and materially false statements about the services she had performed, and falsely reporting that her visits met the billing requirements for complex subsequent nursing home encounters, when in fact they had not.
Mayhew admitted that she knowingly caused 251 false claims to be submitted to Medicare during the charged timeframe. Medicare paid her employer, General Medicine, P.C., over $23,000 for those visits. Mayhew, herself, received $27 from the company for each of the false claims she caused to be submitted, for a total of $6,777.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/madison-county-nurse-pactitioner-pleads-guilty-healthcare-fraud
Former U.S. Postal Worker Sentenced To Prison For Stealing Cash From Mail – September 4, 2020
Amanda Holland began working in January 2017 for the U.S. Postal Service as a part-time employee in the Sweet Grass and Sunburst post offices, where she assisted customers, processed money orders and sorted mail for delivery. In early 2019, the Postal Service received several reports from individuals indicating that cash and greeting cards sent through the Sweet Grass office did not reach their destinations. Some individuals reported that the envelopes were delivered but that they had been torn open and resealed and were missing cash.
An investigation using test mailings with envelopes containing gift cards and surveillance cameras led to Holland. The gift cards were redeemed to buy jewelry, clothes and candy, and the cameras showed Holland acting suspiciously while working, including placing mail in her apron and cash in a personal bag.
School Treasurer Charged With Stealing $22,000 From From School District – September 3, 2020
Kristina Hand was the Treasurer for the Morris Central School District in Otsego County, New York. She diverted and stole at least $22,315.33 in checks made payable to the school district in 2018 and 2019. The school district terminated Hand’s employment in February 2020, upon discovering the theft.
Former Bookkeeper Sentenced To Prison For Embezzling $400,000 From Employer – September 3, 2020
Vicki Miller was employed as a bookkeeper for Greylock Property Group LLC and its owner. Between approximately July 2017 and August 2018, Miller used her access to her employers bank accounts to embezzle $413,180 of their money by making withdrawals at ATMs, writing checks to herself, and transferring funds to her own accounts.
The judge ordered Miller to make full restitution, and to participate in mental health treatment and a gambling addiction treatment program while she is on supervised release.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/colchester-woman-sentenced-prison-embezzling-400k-employer
Former Supervisor Of Drug Manufacturer Charged With Theft Of Over $1 Million Worth of Medical Products – September 3, 2020
Gregory Settino was the production supervisor of manufacturing at Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Shirley, New York. In January 2019, Luitpold was renamed American Regent. One of the products manufactured at Luitpold and American Regent was Adequan, an injectable equine drug administered to horses with degenerative joint disease and sold throughout the United States. Between 2012 and January 2020, Settino allegedly stole thousands of bottles of Adequan from Luitpold and American Regent valued at over $1 million, and sold those drugs to horse trainers and veterinarians at New York racetracks, including Belmont Park, for more than $600,000. Settino conduct endangered the health of horses because the drugs were not maintained, stored or transported in accordance with proper procedures for ensuring the safety, effectiveness and efficacy of the drugs. At times, Settino transported the drugs in shoeboxes stored in his car.
Former Nursing Home Employee Used Patients ID To Pay Bills – August 27, 2020
A woman is accused of stealing the identities of dozens of mostly elderly people. Anna Zur was arrested after a year-long investigation, where she was charged with felony counts of wire fraud and continuing a financial crimes enterprise.
When a daughter noticed fraudulent charges in her mothers checking account used to pay for her stay at Villa at Palos Heights, she contacted police. Working with the care facility corporate office, police learned that a former employee, later identified as Zur, had access to the patients financial information and documents, according to a news release.
https://www.databreaches.net/il-ex-nursing-home-employee-used-patients-id-to-pay-bills-police/
Former Executive Director And 3 Contractors Of The Mississippi Department of Education Charged With Conspiracy, Bribery, Wire Fraud And Money Laundering – September 3, 2020
Cerissa Neal was the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Education during 2013-2016, when she conspired with the three named defendants and other conspirators, to defraud the State of Mississippi and the United States by bid-rigging, false quotes, and altered purchase orders, in order to make money and profit by defrauding the Mississippi Department of Education into awarding contracts and purchase orders at inflated prices, directed to conspirators and their businesses.
The indictment alleges that Neal, using her position within the Mississippi Department of Education, would split contract requests from one contract into multiple, smaller contracts, in order to avoid threshold amounts that would trigger a formal, competitive bidding process. Neal would entertain and advocate for a bid for the contract from one of the three conspirators’ businesses, including The Kyles Company in Memphis, Tennessee (Joseph Kyles), Doc Imaging (also d/b/a as “Hunt Services”) in Jackson, Tennessee (David Hunt), and Educational Awareness in Memphis, Tennessee (Lambert Martin). To meet the Department of Education requirement that such an informal bid have at least two competing vendor quotes for comparison, Neal would obtain false and inflated quotes, by herself and from the other conspirators, designed to make the intended conspirator’s business the lower bid, and to guarantee the award of the contract.
The indictment alleges that conspirators coordinated their submissions to the Department of Education as well as the sharing of the resulting contract payments. After the Department of Education made payment on the rigged contract to the conspirator-owned business, the winning bidder shared some of the money with conspirators, in return for their assistance in rigging the bid and winning the Department of Education contract. In this manner, Neal received more than $42,000 directly or indirectly from her conspirators. Kyles, Hunt, and Martin, through their respective businesses, garnered over $650,000 from the State of Mississippi, including federal funds granted by the U.S. Department of Education to Mississippi.
Medical Assistant Admits To Role In Genetic Testing Kickback And Bribery Scheme – September 3, 2020
Amber Harris worked as a medical assistant for Yitzachok “Barry” Kurtzer, a primary care physician with offices in the Scranton area. From at least 2018, Kurtzer and his wife, Robin Kurtzer, accepted monthly cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for collecting DNA samples from Medicare patients and sending them for genetic tests to clinical laboratories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The cash kickbacks ranged up to $5,000, and the Kurtzers typically accepted the cash in one of Kurtzer’s offices.
Even as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic substantially reduced in-patient visits, the Kurtzers continued with their scheme. They went from receiving hand-delivered cash kickbacks and bribes to accepting payments by wire and through a cell phone money transfer app.
Harris and another employee, Shanelyn Kennedy, also participated in the scheme. They both helped collect the DNA swabs in exchange for also receiving kickbacks and bribes, both in cash and later using the money transfer app.
As a result of the scheme, Medicare paid $755,241 for genetic tests generated from Kurtzer’s practice.
Former Bookkeeper Sentenced To Prison For Embezzling $413,000 From Employer – September 3, 2020
Vicki Miller was employed as a bookkeeper for Greylock Property Group LLC and its owner. Between approximately July 2017 and August 2018, Miller used her access to her employers’ bank accounts to embezzle $413,180 of their money by making withdrawals at ATMs, writing checks to herself, and transferring funds to her own accounts.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/colchester-woman-sentenced-prison-embezzling-400k-employer
Former Bank President Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement – September 2, 2020
Thomas Hinkebein pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement by a bank officer. Hinkebein admitted that, between January 12, 2016 and August 13, 2018 and while he was the President of Whitaker Bank, he willfully misapplied assets of the bank. Specifically, he admitted stealing golf carts and other property of Andover Country Club, an asset owned by Whitaker Bank, and seeking reimbursement from Whitaker Bank for a variety of personal expenses, including cell phone plans, gym memberships, fuel purchases, vehicle repairs, technology purchases for his family members, shipping expenses, and landscaping at his home. To hide the personal nature of these expenses, the Defendant falsely reported many of the expenses to Whitaker Bank to make them appear to be legitimate work expenses.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/pr/former-bank-president-pleads-guilty-embezzlement
Nine Boston Police Officers Arrested for Overtime Fraud Scheme – September 2, 2020
Nine current and former Boston Police Officers were arrested today and charged in connection with committing over $200,000 in overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse.
Lieutenant Timothy Torigian, 54, of Walpole; Sergeant Gerard O’Brien (retired), 62, of Braintree; Sergeant Robert Twitchell (retired), 58, of Norton; Officer Henry Doherty (retired), 61, of Dorchester; Officer Diana Lopez (retired), 58, of Milton; Officer James Carnes (retired), 57, of Canton; Officer Michael Murphy, 60, of Hyde Park; Officer Ronald Nelson (retired), 60, of Jamaica Plain; and Officer Kendra Conway, 49, of Boston, were each charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. The defendants will make initial appearances via videoconference in federal court in Boston later today.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/nine-boston-police-officers-arrested-overtime-fraud-scheme
Civilian Navy Engineer, 3 Others Arrested On Federal Charges Alleging Theft And Sale of Government-Owned Technical Information – September 2, 2020
Federal authorities arrested four defendants across the country on charges alleging a civilian employee of the United States Navy downloaded technical drawings and manuals related to U.S. military weapons systems and sold the items to a Newport Beach company, which later resold the documents to domestic and foreign customers.
Some of those drawings and manuals were specifically labeled with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) distribution warnings related to export control and destruction, as well as DOD contractor proprietary markings,” the affidavit alleges.
Former Medical Practice Office Manager / Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud – September 1, 2020
Beginning on or about January 2011 and continuing until her termination in December 2015, Anndrea Jacobs used her position and access to the medical practice’s finances to steal money from the practice by, among other means, writing business checks to herself or for her own benefit. Jacobs used the stolen funds to make payments on personal credit cards, and pay other personal expenses unrelated to the medical practice.
In an attempt to hide her illicit actions, Jacobs prepared and maintained false business financial records, overstating expenses and estimated tax payments. Further, without the knowledge or consent of the medical practice owner, she opened a business bank account in his name; deposited a business check payable to the Oregon Department of Revenue into her own personal account; gave the practice owner falsified property tax statements with total due balances of zero; and convinced the practice owner to grant her limited power of attorney to handle the practice’s pending IRS tax collection action.
In perhaps her most brazen attempt to conceal her embezzlement activity, Jacobs created a fictitious identity as an IRS Taxpayer Advocate, aka Linda Gibson; established a phone number and voicemail account for the fictitious identity; and purported to assist the medical practice owner with his IRS tax collection issues while impersonating “Linda Gibson.”
Former Mayor / County Commissioner Pleads Guilty To Accepting $250,000 In Bribes – September 1, 2020
Jeffrey Tobolski admitted in a plea agreement that during his tenures as mayor and Cook County Commissioner he agreed to accept multiple extortion and bribe payments totaling more than $250,000. Tobolski admitted that he abused his elected positions in order to benefit individuals who paid him the money. One such arrangement cited in the plea agreement involved Tobolski scheming with a McCook police officer to accept cash payments from the owner of a McCook restaurant in exchange for Tobolski’s and the police officer’s permission to host events that involved the sale of alcohol.
Former Accountant Sentenced To Prison For Misappropriating $77 Million From Individuals And Financial Institutions Over 7 Years – September 1, 2020
Sultan Issa was a certified public accountant and the Chief Financial Officer of a group of partnerships, corporations, and trusts owned by a Chicago-area family. From 2010 to 2017, he embezzled at least $45 million of the family’s assets, including money Issa stole from a trust account that was set up to pay medical expenses for a family member suffering from an incapacitating illness. Issa also fraudulently obtained at least another $5.1 million from individuals in his personal capacity, claiming he would invest their money in legitimate opportunities, including a luxury auto dealership Issa owned in Burr Ridge.
Issa used fraud proceeds to cover personal expenses and to secure fraudulent loans from financial institutions totaling at least $83 million to acquire, among other things, 25 residential properties in Illinois, Montana, Michigan, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, two private aircraft, four yachts, approximately 60 firearms, and assorted watches, jewelry, and memorabilia.
Issa attempted to conceal the scheme by providing financial institutions with fraudulent loan documents and forging authorizations to gain control of funds belonging to the family-owned group. Issa also created false account statements and made Ponzi-type payments to individual investors.
Former Airline Employee Pleads Guilty To Role In Scheme Where Fake Airline IDs Were Manufactured To Obtain Free Flights – September 1, 2020
Hubbard Bell worked at Mesa Airlines, a Phoenix-based regional airline, from June 2015 until October 2015. While a Mesa employee, Bell was provided access to free tickets as a job benefit. Mesa employees and their designated beneficiaries were permitted to use this benefit only while employed by Mesa Airlines.
Bell admitted that, from February 2016 to November 2017, after Mesa terminated his employment, he conspired with others to sell the stolen and unauthorized information of Mesa employees, including their names, dates of hire, and employee identification numbers that were needed to book free flights on Spirit Airlines through Spirit’s web portal for themselves and others.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/ex-airline-employee-pleads-guilty-charge-role-scheme-where-fake-airline-ids-were
Former IT Security Director Sentenced To Prison For Theft Of $340,000+ In Government Funds – September 1, 2020
Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning on June 11, 2015, through August 23, 2018, Terry Petrill ordered 41 Cisco 3850 network switches that were to be installed on the Horry County (Florence, South Carolina) network. When the switches would arrive, Petrill advised that he would handle the installation. Petrill did not install the switches on the network and instead sold them to third parties and kept the proceeds for himself. Petrill sold several of the switches on eBay and other third-party websites. Petrill’s actions caused a loss to Horry County of $345,265.57.
Chinese National / University Researcher Charged With Destroying Hard Drive During FBI Investigation Into The Possible Transfer Of Sensitive Software To China – August 28, 2020
A Chinese national and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles has been arrested on federal charges of destroying evidence to obstruct an FBI investigation after he was observed throwing a damaged hard drive into a dumpster outside his apartment. The criminal complaint alleges that Guan, who was in the U.S. on a J-1 non-immigrant visa, threw a damaged hard drive into a trash dumpster near his residence on July 25. The FBI recovered the damaged hard drive after Guan was not allowed to board a flight to China and after Guan refused the FBI’s request to examine his computer. The affidavit in support of the complaint notes that the internal hard drive was irreparably damaged and that all previous data associated with the hard drive appears to have been removed deliberately and by force.
4 Former Employees Of Failed Bank Charged In Alleged $29 Million Embezzlement Scheme – August 28, 2020
Federal prosecutors have filed charges against 4 former Washington Federal Bank for Savings employees for an alleged multiyear, $29 million embezzlement scheme that preceded the Bridgeport bank’s sudden 2017 failure. The indictment, filed Thursday in Chicago federal court, charges Rosallie Corvite, the bank’s chief financial officer; Jane Iriondo, its corporate secretary; Alicia Mandujano, a loan servicer; and Cathy Torres, a loan officer, with conspiracy to commit embezzlement and falsify bank records. The indictment alleges the four conspired with Robert Kowalski, of Chicago, an attorney and former bank customer, who was indicted last year on bankruptcy fraud charges as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the bank’s collapse.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-washington-federal-bank-employees-embezzlement-charges-20200829-2q4mmonuabedbbwp3gqn336mhu-story.html
6 Holiday Inn Employees Involved In $280,000 Theft – February 3, 2020
KeShana Dominique is accused of helping her coworkers steal thousands of dollars from a hotel where they worked, and deputies are searching for four more suspects.
The Holiday Inn Express had conducted an internal audit that raised red flags and prompted the hotel to contact law enforcement.
KeShana Dominique turned herself in to authorities after learning she was the subject of a criminal investigation. Dominique was charged with felony theft and booked into the Caddo Correctional Center.
A total of six employees, including a clerk and a manager, were accused of hiding money transactions involving guest stays so they could pocket the money paid by guests. They are also accused of defrauding the hotel by giving away free rooms.