| For Immediate Release Case # 12HF2917 February 7, 2013 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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BOOKKEEPER SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS IN PRISON FOR EMBEZZLING $1.7 MILLION FROM WORKPLACE BY FORGING SIGNATURES ON CHECKS
NEWPORT BEACH – A controller/bookkeeper was convicted and sentenced today to 13 years and four months in state prison for embezzling $1.7 million from her workplace by forging the company owner’s signatures on checks. Rebecca Rhea Moore, 39, Dyersburg, TN, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement, eight felony counts each of computer access fraud and falsifying records, and 29 felony counts of forgery with sentencing enhancement allegations for loss over $1.3 million and aggravated white collar crime over $500,000. Moore was also ordered to pay $1,722,558 in restitution to the victim and $117,578 in restitution to the California Franchise Tax Board.
Between July 2003 and October 2011, Moore worked as a controller/bookkeeper for Dan Miller Inc., dba Miller Contracting Company. Between December 2003 and October 2011, Moore forged the company owner’s signature on company checks that she wrote to herself. She attempted to conceal her theft by falsifying the company’s financial records to indicate that the checks were paid to legitimate company vendors.
Moore used the embezzled funds to pay off her personal credit card and mortgage accounts and furnish a new residence in San Clemente and timeshare properties in Las Vegas and Maui.
In October 2011, the victim reported the theft to Irvine Police Department (IPD), who reviewed the company financial accounts and discovered his forged signature on several checks recently paid to the defendant. IPD investigated the case and arrested Moore in October 2012.
At the sentencing today, Jennifer Miller, a co-owner of Dan Milller, Inc., dba Miller Contracting Company, spoke before the court describing the devastating impact the crimes have had on her family-owned business and the employees whose livelihood were directly affected by Moore’s actions.
Deputy District Attorney Chuck Lawhorn of the White Collar Crime Team prosecuted this case.
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