Those Who Couldn't Wait To Win the Lotto - Part 5

I thought I'd post a few of the latest embezzlers in a continuation of my Those Who Couldn't Wait to Win the Lotto multi-part series. For some reason Fraud Talk Blog where I obtain this information seems to have a pattern of blond female embezzlers.  This is all so shocking, these were once professional career women who just lost it.  As fits the pattern, guys are also posted below who stole larger amounts of cash.


New York Woman Sentenced For Embezzling $350K From Medical Practice

Kathleen L. Heller, 54, formerly of West Seneca, New York, was sentenced to one to three years in prison for embezzling more than $350,000 from Western New York Pediatrics where she had served as chief financial officer. According to authorities, Heller misappropriated a total of $355,262 from the practice by manipulating payroll accounts and making unauthorized credit card charges for her own benefit. She is also alleged to have misappropriated $33,524 from the New York State Tax Department. According to reports, Heller fled in 2005 after suspicions arose and was captured as a fugitive in Florida in June 2009. Heller blamed her actions on an addiction to pain killers. At her sentencing, Heller is apologized and is quoted as saying that she was "very, very sorry with my whole heart and soul" for her actions.

Read the story  here.

Iowa Woman Charged With Embezzling Nearly $175K From Dental Practice

Michelle Lynne Allen, 38, of Marshalltown, Iowa, has been charged with embezzling $173,552 from the Plaza Family Dental Practice where she had been employed as office manager. Specifically, Allen has been charged with one count of ongoing criminal conduct, two counts of first degree theft, three counts of forgery and one count of identity theft. According to authorities, Allen wrote Practice checks and transferred funds to herself or her benefit, among other methods of embezzlement, over a period of about 4 years, from 2006 until 2010.

Read the story here.

Former Finance Director of Red Cross in New York Charged With Embezzling $275K

Deborah A. Leggio, 47, currently of Tracy, California and formerly of Long Island, New York, has been arrested and charged with grand larceny in connection with her alleged embezzlement of $274,301 from the Suffolk County chapter of the American Red Cross in Long Island, New York where she had served as finance director. According to prosecutors, Leggio used a Red Cross debit card, issued in her name, to make numerous unauthorized cash withdrawals over a period of more than four years between August 2005 and November 2009.

Read the story here.

2 Former Finance Officers of California Company Sentenced In $1.5 Million Embezzlement  


Eric Wayne Helgemo, 50, of Vista, California and Maria Lorena Vega Yarrish, 40, of Buena Park, California, CFO and Controller, respectively of Pacific Polymers Inc., were sentenced yesterday for their role in an embezzlement conspiracy that bilked the company out of more than $1.5 million. Helgemo (left) was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Yarrish (right) was sentenced to 8 years in prison. They were each also ordered to pay a fine of $3 million. According to authorities, the pair issued more than 800 fraudulent paychecks to themselves over a period of about 5 years, from 2003 until 2008. Specifically, Helgemo received 593 fraudulent payments for more than $1.1 million and Yarrish received 229 fraudulent payments for more than $340,000. The embezzlement was discovered after the company was sold and Helgemo and Yarrish were let go and an audit of the company's books was conducted. Cor Claus, Pacific Polymers former owner, claimed that the company suffered a loss of as much as $7.5 million as a result of Helgemo's and Yarrish's thefts. The pair were originally charged last October with numerous counts of computer access and fraud.

Read the story here, here and here.

Read the original Orange County DA's announcement here.

2 Accused In Kickback Scheme That Bilked Missouri Company Out Of $1 Million

Jason Paul Mitchell, 34, of Jackson, Missouri and Rajiv M. Toprani, 30, of Clarksville, Tennessee, have been accused of conspiring to bilk nearly $1 million from The DeWitt Company of Sikeston, Missouri. According to authorities, Mitchell (left), who was employed as purchasing manager at DeWitt, colluded with Toprani (right), owner of KT America, a DeWitt supplier, who agreed to make kickback payments in exchange for exclusivity. The scheme reportedly spanned about 7 years from 2003 until 2010 where Mitchell and another employee netted some $950,000. The unnamed employee is believed to be DeWitt former CFO, Richard Potter, who has not been criminally charged at this time. Potter reportedly admitted to doctoring company financials to make the kickbacks appear legitimate.

Read the story here

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