California Woman Charged With Embezzling $104K From County Tax Office

Patricia Moretti

Mary "Patricia" Moretti, 56, of Mariposa, California, has been charged with embezzling about $104,000 from the Mariposa County tax office where she had been employed.   According to authorities, over a six year period, from September 2006 until earlier this year, Moretti is believed to have siphoned funds from the tax office by converting tax receipts for her own benefit.  The 71-count criminal complaint filed against Moretti includes charges of burglary, grand theft, embezzlement by clerk, embezzlement by government clerk, forgery and altering government documents.

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Hat tip: FraudTalk reader Joe.

Former Georgia Church Pastor Indicted for Embezzling $200K

Kenneth Terrell, 46, of Bloomingdale, Georgia, was indicted on charges he embezzled at least $200,000 from the New Harvest International Ministries Church where he had served as pastor. According to the indictment, Terrell skimmed "hundreds of thousands" of dollars from church coffers to support a "lavish" lifestyle over at least a four year period. In the indictment, Terrell was charged with 7 counts of wire fraud for which he faces up to 20 years in prison. He has separately been charged with child molestation and sexual battery against a minor, according to reports. Apparently Terrell has a long criminal history that includes prior child molestation charges and multiple DUIs, burglary, forgery, criminal trespass, obstruction, disorderly conduct and drug charges.

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Update (5/5/11): Terrell pleaded gulty yesterday to one count of wire fraud in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Update (1/24/12): Terrell has been sentenced to 115 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $$381,449.55 in restitution. 

California Man Sentenced For Misappropriating $1.2 Million In Company Equipment, Selling It On Ebay

Timothy Charles Webb Jr., 38, of Santa Rosa, California, was sentenced to two years in prison for misappropriating more than $1.2 million in property from Agilent Technologies Inc. where he had been employed. Webb was reportedly was caught by a co-worker taking items from the company in February 2007, sparking an investigation. Police searched his home and found it full of electronic items taken from Agilent that Webb was attempting to sell on eBay. The theft scheme reportedly lasted four years. In May 2008, Webb plead no contest to burglary and grand theft and returned a truck load of Agilent property. Webb has also been ordered to pay $1.22 million in restitution. Webb's wife, Kristen Webb, was also a former Agilent employee, but she was not charged in the case. Agilent filed a civil suit against Webb that claimed, among other things, that he had been selling stolen Agilent equipment since 1999.

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Read the DA's announcements here and here.

Update: California Couple Must Pay Restitution In Sausage Company Embezzlement Case

Perrin Vidal Clark, 30, and Rachel Jane Clark of Sacramento, California will have to pay at least $189,000 in restitution to Vance Sharp, owner of the Sonoma Sausage Company, where they had been employed for embezzling an estimated $117,000 in cash and property. Rachel Clark was an office manager for Sonoma Sausage from March 2007 to January 2008 and Perrin Clark was employed as a sales manager for part of that time. According to Sharp, the Clarks were involved in misusing corporate credit cards as well as stole company property, including a computer. Perrin and Rachel Clark plead guilty last June to one count of grand theft by embezzlement; 26 counts of forgery, two counts of receiving stolen property; one count of burglary; and two special allegations of stealing more than $65,000 and $100,000, respectively.

Read FraudTalk's original post on this story here.

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California Woman Fleeces Retirees Out Of At Least $350K

Maria Elna Flora, 59, of Sacramento, California, was arrested last week on charges she bilked several elderly retirees out of at least $350,000 in retirement savings. Flora, a licensed life insurance agent, sold annuities to her clients and then steered them into fraudulent real estate investments, according to prosecutors. Specifically, from January 2005 through August 2007, Flora allegedly convinced at least ten individuals living in Yolo, Butte, El Dorado, Sacramento, Solano, and Stanislaus counties to invest between $5,000 and $88,000 in the sham real estate investments. Flora promised returns of between 10 and 20 percent, made some initial payments, promising to return the funds at a later date. Prosecutors also contend that Flora spent the ill-gotten gains on a gambling habit, primarily at the Thunder Valley Casino. She is facing 92 charges, including grand theft, embezzlement and burglary.

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California Couple Get Off With Probation & Restitution In $165+K Embezzlement Case

Perrin Vidal Clark, 29, and his wife Rachel Jane Clark of Sacramento, California, were ordered to spend five years on probation and must pay restitution for embezzling at least $165,000 from Sonoma Sausage LLC in Napa, California where they were both employed. Specifically, they plead guilty last week to one count of grand theft by embezzlement; 26 counts of forgery, two counts of receiving stolen property; one count of burglary; and two special allegations of stealing more than $65,000 and $100,000, respectively. Perrin was employed as a sales director and Rachel as office manager. The Clarks reportedly forged Vance Sharp's, name, who is the owner of Sonoma Sausage, on unauthorized credit card transactions, among other things. The thefts reportedly occurred between 2007 and 2008.

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Former California Attorney Faces Additional Embezzlement Charges

Edward Duff Hume, 59, of Solvang, California and a practicing attorney in Redwood City, California from 1975 to 2007, has faces additional charges of embezzling from his clients. Hume was accused of embezzling some 824,000 from the estate of one of his clients in 2006 over the course of nearly 2 years while trustee in the probate. He has been charged with five felony counts, including embezzlement, grand theft, commercial burglary and possession of a forged document. Hume was also charged with stealing two loans of $100,000 each from other unrelated clients. He resigned from the Bar in 2007 and is facing a disciplinary hearing in addition to the criminal action. We note that Hume had been disciplined by the Bar in 1998 for mishandling a client.

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