| For Immediate Release Case # 10HF2239 September 12, 2011 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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14-YEAR ARCHITECTURAL FIRM EMPLOYEE SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR EMBEZZLING OVER $150,000 TO FINANCE PERSONAL EXPENSES
SANTA ANA – A 14-year employee of a Newport Beach architectural firm was sentenced today to two years in state prison for embezzling over $150,000 to finance personal expenses including travel purchases. Suzanne Denise Baumann, 41, Anaheim Hills, pleaded guilty Aug. 1, 2011, to one felony count each of grand theft, second degree commercial burglary, and acts constituting forgery.
Beginning in 1996, Baumann worked for Scheurer Architect in Newport Beach. She was responsible for overseeing the company’s financial accounts and records and stole over $115,700 by charging unauthorized purchases on three different company credit cards. Baumann stole over $44,000 from the company’s bank account to pay charges on her personal credit card. The defendant spent the money on personal expenses including travel expenses, concert tickets, and items online from Amazon.com.
In early May 2010, a Scheurer Architect employee noticed a missing check that Baumann made payable to herself. After an audit of the corporate accounts, the theft was reported to the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD).
On May 16, 2010, Baumann went to NBPD and used a stolen company credit card to pay for a massage therapy license to start her new business.
After further investigation by NBPD, Baumann was arrested Dec. 14, 2010.
Deputy District Attorney Yvette Patko of the Major Fraud Unit prosecuted this case.
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