Delaware Woman Charged In $300K Embezzlement Scheme

Karen C. Hunt, 48, of Old New Castle, Delaware, was charged yesterday with embezzling nearly $300,000 from Aquilla of Delaware, a local adolescent drug and alcohol treatment center, where she had been employed as a bookkeeper and billing manager. Specifically, Hunt was charged with felony theft and six counts of falsifying business records in a scheme where she allegedly deposited reimbursement checks into her personal checking account and then falsified the books and records to hide the thefts. Authorities believe that over a five year period, from April 13, 2005 to April 5, 2010, Hunt deposited at least 343 checks meant for deposit for Aquilla into her account totaling $296,902.50.

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Delaware Couple Charged With Embezzling $220K

Carlene A. Lloyd, 27, and Richard W. Lloyd, 30, of New Castle, Delaware have been charged with embezzling more than $220,000 from Drywall Inc. where Carlene had been employed as an office manager. Prosecutors allege that over a five year period, Carlene Lloyd issued company checks to herself and her husband totalling $220,597.72. They were also alleged to have altered company books and records in an effort to hide the thefts. Specifically they were each charged with theft over $100,000, first-degree forgery, falsifying business records and conspiracy.

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Upstate New York Executive Indicted For Alleged $400K Embezzlement Scheme

Thomas B. Dalton III, 55, of Barneveld, New York, was indicted yesterday on 11 felony charges for allegedly embezzling more than $400,000 from Divine Brothers Co. of Utica, a wheel buffing company for which he had served as chief operating officer. Prosecutors allege that over the course of 10 years, Dalton used his position to give himself unauthorized raises and bonuses and misappropriate company funds to pay personal expenses. Specifically, Dalton was indicted on three counts of second-degree grand larceny, one count of third-degree grand larceny and seven counts of first-degree falsifying business records. Dalton has plead not guilty and will be back in court on February 17th.

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Massachusetts Couple Plead Guilty To Embezzling $1.5 Million From Convenience Store

Vivian Gagnon-Vogel, 48, and George Vogel, 60, of North Adams, Massachusetts, have pleaded guilty to embezzling some $1.5 million from O'Connell Convenience Plus, where she had been employed as a bookkeeper and he as manager. According to authorities, Gagnon-Vogel handled cash and credit card receipts and took up to $1,000 per day in order to feed her drug habit. The thefts took place between December 2003 and November 2007, according to investigators. Specifically, the couple plead guilty last week to charges of embezzlement and falsifying corporate books. They are due to be sentenced on February 16th.

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Update (5/24/10): Vivian Vogel was sentenced Friday to five to six years in state prison on her false entry charge, and ordered her to serve a concurrent four to five-year sentence on her embezzlement charge. George Vogel was sentenced to three to five years.

Former Upstate New York Library Treasurer Accused Of Embezzling $280K

Lawrence J. Recor, 64, of Boonville, New York, has been accused of embezzling more than 280,000 from the Erwin Library and Institute, where he had served as treasurer for more than 20 years. According to prosecutors, between June 2005 and July 2008, Recor wrote numerous unauthorized checks from the library's bank account to Recor Associates, his own accounting business account. Recor, who has been charged with one count of grand larceny and 27 counts of falsifying business records, has pleaded not guilty.

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Update (3/17/10): Recor plead guilty and was sentenced to 3-9 years in prison, plus ordered to pay restitution. In addition to his thefts from the Erwin Library, Recor also reportedly embezzled more than $150,000 from the Kiwanis Club of Boonville. According to Recor's testimony, he stole the money when his business, Recor Associates, was having financial difficulties.

Update: Serial Massachusetts Fraudster Formally Indicted For Embezzlement

Kimberlee Anne "Kim" Mastronardi, 50, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, was indicted by an Essex County, Massachusetts Grand Jury on charges she embezzled more than half a million dollars from Bartlett & Steadman Plumbing Company, also of Marblehead, for who she had been employed as a bookkeeper since 2004. Specifically, Mastronardi was indicted on four counts of larceny over $250 and one count of falsifying corporation books for the alleged embezzlement of $531,605.86. According to investigators, Mastronardi, who had control over the payroll for the company, essentially paid herself double. She also paid personal credit cards with company funds and may have also defrauded the company 401(k) plan, according to prosecutors. In 1998, Mastronardi was convicted on four counts of larceny, forgery and falsifying books and received a one year suspended sentence. In 2001, Mastronardi was charged with multiple counts of credit card fraud and identity fraud. Some of those charges were dismissed, but she plead guilty to others and received a 2 year suspended sentence in 2003. She faces up to 30 years in prison, plus restitution if convicted on all of the current charges.

Read FraudTalk's original post on this story here.

Read the story here.

Louisiana Banking Exec Pleads Guilty To $135K Embezzlement

Loretta Kathryn Balsamico, 51, of Covington, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to embezzling $135,800 from Citizens Savings Bank where she had served as an assistant vice president. Prosecutors alleged that she had also falsified bank books and records in an attempt to cover-up her thefts. She is believed to have removed between $5,000 and $10,000 in cash per month from her teller drawer over more than a year period. Balsamico, who was terminated from the bank in 2007, faces up to 10 years in prison.

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Read the DOJ announcement here.

Read the criminal factual basis here.

Former Massachusetts Museum CFO Indicted In $1.3 Million Embezzlement Case

Peggy Kempton, 58, of Hollis, New Hampshire, has been indicted for allegedly embezzling $1.3 million from the Fruitlands Museum of Harvard, Massachusetts where she had been employed as its chief financial officer. She has plead not guilty to the charges that include 14 counts of larceny over $250 by single scheme, three counts of fraudulent use of credit cards, and making false entries in corporate books. According to reports, Kempton is alleged to have made unauthorized credit card charges for personal expenses and college tuition for her children. She is also alleged to have then manipulated the museum's books in an attempt to cover up her thefts. According to prosecutors, the thefts occurred between January 2002 and February 2008 and involved 14 different credit cards. She is also facing a civil suit for recovery filed by the museum. The civil case alleges that Kempton's three children were also involved in the fraud.

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Update (7/2/10): Kempton was sentenced to 3-5 years in prison. She had pleaded guilty to all 18 counts last May.

Read the updated story here.

Arizona Museum Accountant Charged With Embezzling Nearly $1 Million

Ruth Ellen Sons, 62, of Tucson, Arizona, has been charged with embezzling $973,000 from the Tucson Museum of Art where she had been employed as an accountant since 1990. According to the complaint, Sons allegedly forged the signatures of museum officers, stole cash from museum gift shop and attempted to hide her thefts by manipulating the museum's general accounting ledger. The thefts ocured between 2003 and 2008, according to reports. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including three counts of fraud, three counts of theft and one count of illegally conducting an enterprise. Sons is reported to have been a major gambler at the Desert Diamond Casino.

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Massachusetts Woman Sentenced For $400K Embezzlement

Barbara A. Jarosz, 39, of Saugus, Massachusetts, was sentenced last week to 2 1/2 years in prison for embezzling $404,000 from an unknown business in Malden, Massachusetts where she is believed to have worked as a bookkeeper. Jarosz, who pleaded guilty in February to seven counts of forgery, one count of larceny over $250, one count of falsifying/omitting bookkeeping entries and one count of obtaining a signature by false pretense, will also have to pay restitution. Jarosz is the wife of Eric Jarosz, a local attorney who lost his law license in 2006 for a nine month period. The nature of Barbara Jarosz' embezzlement has not been disclosed.

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Delaware Car Dealer Employee Charged With $500K Embezzlement

Jennifer A. Creamer, 43, of Newark, Delaware, was charged with stealing more than $500,000 from the Sheridan Ford dealership near Wilmington, with whom she had a business relationship. Creamer, allegedly stole the funds over an 8 year period by through her payroll company, GSC Services Inc., which handled Sheridan Ford's payroll, by siphoning off funds from employee accounts. She is currently out on bond.

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Serial Massachusetts Fraudster Now Charged With Embezzlement

Kimberlee Anne "Kim" Mastronardi, 50, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, was arrested yesterday and charged with embezzling from Bartlett & Steadman Plumbing, where she had been employed as office manager. Mastronardi, who handled payroll for the company, is alleged to have altered the payroll after approval but prior to submitting it to the payroll servicing company. According to investigators, Mastronardi's 2008 W-2 showed nearly $190,000 in income when she is paid $23 per hour. With approximately 2,000 working hours in a given year, Mastronardi would have earned about $46,000. Company owner Richard Steadman claims that Mastronardi has been embezzling from the company for five years. That could mean several hundred thousand dollars embezzled over that time period. We note that in 1998, Mastronardi was convicted on four counts of larceny, forgery and falsifying books and received a one year suspended sentence. In 2001, Mastronardi was charged with multiple counts of credit card fraud and identity fraud. Some of those charges were dismissed, but she plead guilty to others and received a 2 year suspended sentence in 2003.

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California Bookkeeper Arrested In $120K Embezzlement Case

Christele L. Gosh, 36, of Manteca, California, was arrested Thursday and charged with embezzling approximately $120,000 from the Stockton 7UP Bottling Co., where she was employed as a bookkeeper. Gosh, an 11-year employee of the company, was charged with two felony counts of grand theft of personal property and falsifying corporate books. The complaint alleges Gosh stole cash and checks collected from delivery truck drivers and then voiding sales slips to cover her theft. The embezzlement scheme, which occurred from 2004 to 2008, was discovered when she took a day off, according to prosecutors.

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California Man Wanted In $600K Alleged Embezzlement

Andrew Wallace, 40, of Stockton, California is wanted for allegedly embezzling some $600,000 from Delta Truck Center in French Camp, California where he had been employed as an accounts receivable manager. Wallace, who was indicted Friday on grand theft and falsifying corporate books, allegedly stole the funds over more than a 2 year period and tried to cover it up by paying off older debts with new cash receipts. The San Joaquin County District Attorney's office is seeking the public's help in locating Wallace, pictured above. Contact DA investigator Michael Morris at (209) 468-3620.

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Former Morgan Stanley Executive Charged In $2.5 Million Embezzlement Case

Richard Garaventa Jr., 36, of Manalapan, New Jersey and a former vice president of Morgan Stanley, pleaded not guilty to charges he embezzled some $2.5 million from the investment bank. Garaventa allegedly stole the money by setting up a phony company, New York Transfer Corp., to which he sent at least 50 unauthorized checks of as much as $75,000. He has been charged with 43 criminal counts, including grand larceny, possession of stolen property and falsifying business records. According to prosecutors, Garaventa spent the money to maintain a lavish lifestyle on such things as luxury vehicles, jewelry, expensive vacations and other personal items. The scheme took place over a period of 7 years, according to reports. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

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California Woman Sentenced For $1.3 Million Embezzlement

Nancy Frances Fiske, 57, of Anderson, California, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for embezzling more than $1.3 million from her former employer, Jerry L. Knighten Construction, Inc. Fiske plead guilty last September to one felony count of mail fraud. According to prosecutors, Fiske had been employed as a bookkeeper, controller and office manager for the company and embezzled the money between 2001 and 2007. Fiske was able to use her fiduciary positions to write more than 500 checks to herself and others. Fiske must also pay restitution in the amount of $1,227,563. The complaint also alleged that Fiske attempted to cover up her thefts by making false ledger entries.

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Read the DOJ's announcements here and here.

California Bookkeeper Indicted In $130K Embezzlement Case

May Yonzon Torres, 37, of Stockton, California, was indicted Thursday on charges she embezzled some $130,000 from her employer, Architectural Amenities Inc., also of Stockton. Torres, who was charged with grand theft of personal property and falsifying corporate books, also had her Filipino passport was confiscated when released on her own recognizance. Torres allegedly used the company checkbook to fraudulently pay herself and her relatives. The thefts reportedly occurred between February 2005 and October 2008.

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Read the indictment here.

Former Accountant Of Massachusetts Based Public Television Station Charged With Embezzling Nearly $500K

Philip McCabe, age 48, of Reading, Massachusetts, and the former accounting manager for WGBH public television in Boston, was indicted today on charges he embezzled nearly half a million dollars from the station. According to prosecutors, McCabe, who had control over corporate accounts to pay vendors, used those accounts to pay personal expenses on corporate and personal credit cards for such things as vacations, golf outings, restaurant tabs, liquor, clothes, household goods, gas and many other personal expenses over a nine year period from 1998 to 2007. He has been indicted on two counts of making false entries in corporate books and two counts of larceny. McCabe, who was a 20 year veteran employee of station, is scheduled to be arraigned on February 6th.

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California Bookkeeper Arrested On Suspicion Of $1.1 Million Embezzlement

Brenda Kaye Kemper, 57, of Lodi, California was arrested last week on charges of embezzling some $1.1 million from her employer, Big Valley Aviation, Inc., of Stockton, California. Kemper was employed as the company's financial manager and has been charged with grand theft of personal property and falsifying corporate books. Kemper's thefts allegedly span more than 7 years, dating back to 2001, according to investigators. Her allegedly fraud was uncovered when she went to have gastric bypass surgery last summer and left the books and records in disarray. She is also alleged to have opened credit card accounts in the company's name and used them for her own benefit. According to reports, Kemper kept complete control over the company's finances and left everyone else in the dark. She was a 20 year employee of the company.

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New York Couple Sentenced In Embezzlement Casino Laundering Case

Jamine Alabre, 28, of Westbury, New York and her boyfriend, Mathurin Ambroise, 34, of St. Albans, New York, who each plead guilty in July to receiving stolen property, were sentenced Friday for attempting to launder $1 million embezzled from Alabre's employer at Atlantic City casinos. Alabre was sentenced to 5 years in prison and Ambroise to 3 years by an Atlantic County Superior Court judge in New Jersey. According to prosecutors, the two laundered more than $500,000 between January to October 2005 at high-limit slot machines at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and several others. Alabre and Ambroise admitted to attempting to launder the money embezzled from Alabre's employer, Ipsos, a marketing firm based in Long Island. She was responsible for handling cash that went into mailings for surveys as incentives and overestimated the amount needed, pocketing the rest, according to reports. Alabre's scam went on from December 2003 to July 2005, netting her $1,119,807 of which only $29,000 was recovered, according to prosecutors. She was arrested after a routine audit detected the scam and she was charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records.

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Read the New Jersey Attorney General's press release here.