THREE RELATIVES CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLING NEARLY $1 MILLION FROM KIA MOTORS AMERICA

THREE RELATIVES CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLING NEARLY $1 MILLION FROM KIA MOTORS AMERICA
IN SOPHISTICATED SCHEME

NEWPORT BEACH – The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) charged a woman, her brother, and her ex-husband for embezzling almost $1 million from KIA Motors America between May and July of 2002.  Cecile Campbell, 51, Mel Campbell, 52, and Long Ho, 46, are charged with grand theft, computer access and fraud, and money laundering, with enhancements.  If convicted, they all face up to 18 years in prison.  All three are scheduled for arraignment today, June 30, at 9:00 AM in H2, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach.

 In 2002, Cecile Campbell was an employee of KIA Motors America in the accounting department.  Between May and July of 2002, she is accused of initiating three separate wire transfers, totaling $889,787.  She is accused of transferring the money into a Wells Fargo account that had been opened by Ho, Cecile Campbell’s brother, under the fictitious business name U.S. Customs Service Detail.  Ho is accused of creating this account to resemble the United States Customs Service, which collects import duties on shipments of automobiles that arrive in the United States.  The three are accused of then laundering the money into their private accounts.  Cecile and Mel Campbell were married at the time of the crime, but have since divorced.

Mel Campbell was arrested in Laguna Niguel and Ho was picked up at LAX while trying to pass through customs to re-enter the United States from Vietnam.  Cecile Campbell later turned herself in at the Harbor Justice Center and was taken into custody.  They are being held on $500,000 bail each, and if it is posted, they must prove the bail money is not from an illegal source.

OCDA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have worked together to investigate this crime.  Deputy District Attorney Marc Labreche of the Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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