Nevada Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $3.3 Million In Payroll Scheme

From Fox5 Las Vegas on 5/30/13:

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
A Las Vegas woman entered guilty pleas Thursday in connection to a $3.3 million payroll embezzlement scheme that stretched over three years.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, Deborah DiFrancesco, 55, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and a count of tax evasion as part of a plea agreement.
The IRS said, in an indictment, DiFrancesco mislead clients through a payroll business telling them the appropriate funds and forms they forwarded to her were sent to tax authorities. In reality, the indictment said, DiFrancesco sent a different form representing a fund amount lower than what was due.

She kept the difference, which amounted to about $3.3 million between 2009 and 2011, according to the indictment. The IRS said she used those funds for gambling and personal expenses.

In addition, DiFrancesco pleaded guilty to preparing a personal income tax in 2009 that was, as the IRS said, substantially lower than what she earned that year. In forms, according to an indictment, she claimed her taxable income at $28,218.

The tax agency said DiFrancesco, under a plea agreement, will pay restitution of more than $3.8 million. She was also ordered to pay the IRS more than $1.1 million.