Defendant Admits Making Unauthorized Charges, Writing Fraudulent Checks
WASHINGTON - The former office manager of a trade association management company pled guilty today to a federal charge of wire fraud for embezzling more than $1.5 million from the firm, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Leunea D. Myers, 38, of Clinton, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2018. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Myers faces a likely range of 51 to 63 months in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The plea agreement calls for her to pay $1,550,075 in restitution to her former employer and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to a statement of offense filed as part of the plea, Myers worked from February 2015 to November 2017 as the office manager and bookkeeper for a company identified in court documents as “Company A." This company is a professional trade association management company in the District of Columbia that has been in business for more than 40 years. Myers’s responsibilities included tracking client billings and receipts, depositing money, and reconciling clients’ bank accounts, drafting checks, and preparing financial statements.
From April 2015 through November 2017, Myers embezzled funds by making unauthorized charges on company credit cards and by writing fraudulent checks directly to herself or to pay third parties to pay bills that she owed.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge Vale commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh, who assisted with forfeiture issues; former Paralegal Specialist Kate Abrey, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Marston, who is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
