Colleen Kieran of Clermont was charged by federal indictment with six counts of wire fraud, according to an April 21 announcement by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The case concerns allegations that Kieran, who oversaw the accounting department of a Seminole County business, used her position over nearly 13 years to transfer more than $3.9 million from company accounts into her personal PayPal account. Prosecutors said she spent the funds on clothing, travel, entertainment, dining, consumer electronics, and media.
According to the indictment, Kieran also took out loans in the company's name to hide the missing money and provided false financial information to both her employers and the company's tax preparer. If convicted on all counts, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge. The indictment further notifies Kieran that authorities are seeking forfeiture of $3.9 million as proceeds from the alleged crimes.
U.S. Attorney Kehoe said an indictment is only a formal charge and emphasized: "Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty." The investigation involves the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Longwood Police Department, and Seminole Financial Crimes Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan is prosecuting the case while Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Andrejko is handling forfeiture proceedings.
