New York Woman Sentenced For Embezzling $311K From Girl Scouts

Yaasmin K. Hooey, 35, of the Bronx, New York, has been sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison for embezzling $311,586 from the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York where she had been employed as finance director.  According to authorities, over a period of two years, Hooey misappropriated the funds by cashing or depositing into her personal bank account at least 65 checks written and forged from the Girl Scouts' payroll account.  Prosecutors said that Hooey spent some of the ill-gotten gains on a $13,000 diamond ring, a cosmetic laser procedure, gym memberships, clothing, concert tickets and personal travel.  Hooey, who plead guilty to grand larceny, claims she gave most of the money to her girlfriend.  At her sentencing hearing, Hooey is quoted in a statement saying, “I apologize for the situation."

Read the story here, here and here.

Ohio Woman Charged With Embezzling As Much As $170K From Trade Union

Laura L. Dixon, 50, of Toledo, Ohio, has been charged with embezzling between $70,000 and $170,216 from the Ohio and Vicinity Regional Council of Carpenters where she had been employed as an office secretary.  According to authorities, over a period of more than 5 years, from January 2005 to about March 2010, Dixon converted union membership dues for her own benefit.  Dixon has been charged with one count of labor union embezzlement. 

Read the story here and here.

Read the DOJ announcement here.

Long Island Man Charged With Embezzling $243K From Healthcare Concern

Jeffrey Mohamed, 36, of Medford, New York has been charged with embezzling more than $243,000 from Hospice Care Network, where he had been employed as chief of information technology.  According to authorities, over a period of more than 8 years, from January 2003 to March 2011, Mohamed made unauthorized purchases of computers and other electronic equipment and then returned the items for a credit to his personal account or by selling the equipment and keeping the proceeds.  Mohamed faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Read the story here, here and here.

Hat tip: FraudTalk reader Joe.

Montana Woman Accused Of Embezzling Nearly $100K From Little League

Amy Jo Erickson, 39, of Belgrade, Montana, has been charged with embezzling at least $92,085.48 from the Belgrade Little League Baseball Organization where she had served as treasurer.  According to authorities, over a period of more than 3 years, from January 2007 through February 2010, Erickson is alleged to have written league checks to her husband's plumbing business, Erickson Plumbing & Heating LLC, as well as to herself.  She is also alleged to have stolen cash receipts.  Police investigators reportedly interviewed Erickson's husband, believed to be Monty L. Erickson, 39, who claimed he "had no idea" of the embezzlement.  Erickson has plead not guilty to the charges.

Read the story here and here.

Former Wyoming Hospital Exec Accused Of Embezzling Nearly $850K

Paul Cardwell, currently believed to be living in Thailand, has been accused in a civil lawsuit of embezzling about $848,000 from Powell Valley Healthcare, of Powell, Wyoming, where he had been employed as CEO through its management company, HealthTech Management Services Inc.  According to the lawsuit, over a six month period last year, Cardwell authorized the funds to pay for recruitment of physicians to the hospital.  Instead, the monies were actually sent to a “straw company” set up by an Indiana-based acquaintance of Cardwell’s that did no legitimate work and kicked back a “substantial” amount to Cardwell via electronic transfers.

Developing...

Read the story here.

Update (9/6/12): Cardwell has vanished, just 3 weeks prior to the start of his trial and authorities have issued an arrest warrant for him.

Update (5/4/13): Michael J. Plake, 47, of West Lafayette, Indiana, is scheduled to be sentenced after pleading guilty to his role in the theft of what is now understood to be $1.65 million from Powell Valley Healthcare.  According to prosecutors, Cardwell arranged payments to Plake’s medical recuitment company, Plake and Associates, which was never conducted.  Plake allegedly kicked back a percentage of the fees to Cardwell via overseas wire transfers.  Cardwell and Plake also allegedly created phony recruitment agreements and invoices to cover up their thefts.

Michigan Man Accused Of Embezzling $134K From Church & School

James M. "Jim" Kulfan, 54, of Grandville, Michigan, has been charged with embezzling $134,545 from the St. John Vianney School and Parish where he had served as business manager.  According to authorities, Kulfan wrote checks to himself and took cash receipts over an unspecified period of time.  Kulfan had apparently been employed by the church for nearly 9 years before being fired in December 2011 when the misappropriation was discovered.

Developing...

Read the story here, here and here.

Former Oklahoma Bank Exec Pleads Guilty To Embezzling More Than $3 Million

Janice Mora Adams, 54, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to charges she embezzled more than $3 million from People's Bank where she had been employed as senior vice president for private banking and internal control officer.  According to authorities, Adams created fraudulent loans and kept the proceeds for her own benefit over a period of nearly 6 years, from May 2004 until February 2010.  During that period, Adams reportedly misappropriated about $3.1 million from the bank.  Adams has agreed to a restitution judgment of $2.7 million and must pay about $860,000 in back taxes on the ill-gotten gains.  According to media reports, the scheme was uncovered in March 2010 and charged in December 2011.

Read the story here and here.

Update (8/1/12): Adams, now 55, has been sentenced to 45 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution to the bank’s insurer as well as $859,474 to the Internal Revenue Service for tax years 2005 through 2009.  She was also ordered to pay a criminal money judgment of more than $2.6 million.

Former CFO Of Idaho Company Charged With Embezzling More Than $550K

Stanley William Mills, 51, of Idaho Falls, ID has been charged with embezzling at least $550,000 from Environmental Management Inc. where he had been employed as chief financial officer.  According to authorities, over a period of at least 6 years, from 2002 to 2008, Mills siphoned money from the company.  He has been charged with one count of felony grand theft.

Developing...

Read the story here and here.

Update (4/5/12): Mills has pleaded guilty to grand theft by embezzlement.  Authorities alleged that Mills wrote company checks which he deposited into his own accounts or otherwise for his own benefit.

Former California Film Production Company Exec Charged With Embezzling $812K

Donna Glenn Walker, 57, formerly of Oxnard, California has been charged with embezzling some $812,000 from Danetracks, Inc., a post-production sound company in West Hollywood, where she had been employed as a vice president.  According to authorities, Walker fled to Winter Park, Florida after she was served with a search warrant.  She has been charged with 5 counts of grand theft. 

Developing...

Read the story here and here.

Update (8/15/12): Walker pled guilty on August 8, 2012 to grand theft and failure to pay state taxes on her ill-gotten gains.  The case reportedly took several years to investigate and bring to court.  Danetracks reported the thefts to the authorities in February 2008. 

Reminder to victims of these kinds of frauds: the wheels of justice roll slowly but eventually come around.

Pennsylvania Woman Charged With Embezzling More Than $130K

Denise Zbierski, 35, of the Hudson section of Plains Township, Pennsylvania, has been charged with embezzling $130,866 from MotorWorld Automotive where she had been employed as payroll administrator.  According to authorities, over a period of at least one year, between 2010 and 2011, Zbierski inflated her salary by doctoring the books and records of the company.  She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.  Zbierski reportedly admitted to stealing the money to finance a gambling habit.

Read the story here and here.

Michigan Man Accused Of Embezzling $650K From Oldest African American Church

Reuben Bynum, 61, of West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, has been charged with embezzling about $650,000 from the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, reputed to be the oldest African-American church in the US, where he had served as chief financial officer.  According to authorities, over a period of at least 6 years, until December 2011, Bynum forged checks and abused company credit and ATM cards for his own benefit. 

Read the story here and here.

Another Vermont Woman Arrested For Major Embezzlement

Kimberly Brooks, 47, of Brownington, Vermont has been arrested on charges she allegedly embezzled nearly $151,000 from Desmarais Equipment where she had been employed as a bookkeeper.  According to authorities, over a period of 3 years, from April 2008 through March 2011, Brooks siphoned funds from the company where she had been employed for 13 years. 

Developing...

Read the story here and here.

Vermont will keep its infamous status as the highest risk embezzlement state if it keeps up this pace...

West Virginia Woman Sentenced For Embezzling $115K From Energy Exploration Company

Yvetta Holstine, 56, of South Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for embezzling at least $115,000 from Hard Rock Exploration Inc., a local natural gas exploration company where she had been employed as an accounts manager.  According to authorities, over a period of at least a year, beginning in July 2008 and continuing through July 2009, Holstine used her position to make personal purchased over the Internet with company credit card accounts, among other schemes.  Holstine must also pay restitution in the amount of $115,276 and serve 3 years probation.

Read the story here.

Missouri Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $170K From Hotel

Janet R. Mosier, 47, of Springfield, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to charges she embezzled nearly $170,000 from the University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center where she had been employed as director of accounting services.  According to authorities, over a period of nearly 8 years, from January 2003 to October 2010, Mosier stole from the hotel's petty cash account using fraudulent receipts to the tune of  $169,864.  Mosier plead guilty to felony wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison, plus restitution and fines.

Read the story here and here.

Missouri Condo Manager Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $751K From Condo Associations

Dale Palmer, 53, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to charges he embezzled $751,302 from the accounts of 32 homeowner associations for which his firm, Home Owner Association Services, had been entrusted to manage.  According to authorities, Palmer simply transferred funds from the association accounts to his own business account which he claims he did because of cash flow problems.  His firm managed associations in Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Illinois.  Palmer, who pleaded guilty to mail fraud, tried to hide the misappropriations by sending out fraudulent statements to association members.

Read the story here and here.

Former Head Of NYC Stage Union Charged With Embezzling More Than $200K

John V. McNamee, 52, of New York City, has been charged with embezzling more than $200,000 from the Stage and Picture Operators Local 829 for which he had previously served as president/secretary/treasurer.  According to prosecutors, over a period of more than 7 years, from January 2004 through February 2011, McNamee used union credit cards to pay for personal expenses.  Prosecutors allege that the "charges included jewelry purchases, tutoring and school-related expenses for his children, and medical, vacation, and party expenses for himself and his family."

Read the story here.

Hat tip: FraudTalk reader Joe.