'The theft was fatal': Employee used 189 credit-card refunds to embezzle nearly $200,000 ...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Thu Sep 9, 2021, 02:16 PM - Edit history (2)

‘The theft was fatal’: Employee used 189 credit-card refunds to embezzle nearly $200,000 — bankrupting packaging firm

Wed, September 8, 2021, 1:29 PM

There is no such thing as a victimless crime. The trusted controller of a family-run Pennsylvania packaging firm has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing nearly $200,000 from the company’s coffers, sending it into bankruptcy and all its workers to the unemployment line. Victoria Mazur, 54, of Pittsburgh, had worked for the Gateway Packaging Corp. from 2012 until 2017, during which she secretly pocketed $195,000 of company funds, federal prosecutors said.

{snip}

From the local paper:

Ex-controller whose thefts put her employer out of business is sentenced

TORSTEN OVE
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
[e-mail]
SEP 7, 2021 1:04 PM

A former controller who embezzled from a family-owned Westmoreland County company and put it out of business is headed to prison for two years.

Victoria Mazur will also have to pay restitution of $195,000.

U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose imposed those terms on her Monday.

Mazur, 54, of Plum, had pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2019 in connection with systematically stealing from Gateway Packaging Corp.

From December 2012 until December 2017, she issued herself and her husband 189 fraudulent credit card refunds totaling $190,829, which were deposited into her bank account. She also used the company's credit cards for personal use for an additional loss of about $4,000.

Prosecutors said she concealed what she was doing by supplying the company owners with fake financial statements understating the firm's sales figures.

{snip}

First Published September 7, 2021, 1:04pm

[Sherman A1]

1. Two years?

Seems hardly enough for this crime.

[Scruffy1]

2. White collar crime is always treated lightly because white collar is usually white.

I am not an advocate of prisons, but the disparity is glaring. However, this persons whole life has changed completely with a felony conviction on their record. It seems to me that many smaller companies lack proper controls and rely on trusted employees to be honest. An accounting instructor once told me the first thing he looks for when money goes missing is the employee that never misses a day a day of work. Pretty obvious if you are stealing money you don't want someone else looking over your work.

[The Jungle 1]

3. Worked for a company that this happened at.

The crook was the maintenance manager. He had set up fake companies and would charge fake supplies. No one noticed for years. My company had insurance so they did get the money back. The man was never charged because he died. He wife was able to keep the money.
Interestingly when corporate found out the response was oh it was maintenance, it is always maintenance.

[FakeNoose]

4. It seems there are a lot of people who should never be trusted

... to handle other people's money. Even accountants and bookkeepers - in some cases.

Every small business needs to have their books audited by an independent auditor once per year. This is important so that the financial officers will realize they can be caught if they try to steal.

[Xoan]

5. $100000 per year and a free 2 year vacation.

Crime pays ... if you're white.