California is no stranger to white-collar crimes. Embezzlement is one example of such offenses. Recently, two siblings were accused of committing this crime in a scheme.
Embezzling duo
A woman spent approximately 25 years working at a California real estate company. Although she appeared to have good standing with her employer, she was recently accused of embezzlement that saw more than $1 million stolen from the company. In August 2023, she was arrested for fraud; her brother was also later arrested for participating in the scheme.
An investigation into the matter occurred when the company the woman worked for as a property manager reported theft in 2021. The investigators learned that she had allegedly been stealing money from the company since 2007 and funneled it to herself and her older brother. The stolen funds came from tenants’ rent in a large apartment complex.
How embezzlement occurs
Embezzlement occurs when a person steals or misappropriates funds they were trusted to oversee. In order for someone to be charged with the crime, there must be significant amounts of money or an asset of very high value involved.
An of embezzlement in a non-employer/employee context is a Ponzi scheme such as the one involving Bernie Madoff, who was convicted and received a hefty prison sentence. The offense occurs when a person convinces others to invest in a supposedly promising endeavor while guaranteeing them generous dividends for their assistance. However, in reality, the end result leaves the victims out significant amounts of money.
Embezzlement is more common than many people might think. Unfortunately, in some cases, a person might be mistakenly charged. When this happens, they need all the resources they can use to their advantage to prove their innocence as their future depends on it.
