A Katy woman who is a Salvadorian national has been indicted federal court for stealing paychecks and 401(k) plan money, U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson announced today.
Maria Teresa Cardenas, 46, was arrested by Harris County Sheriff’s deputies on Saturday.
An investigation conducted by the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and FBI led to the return of a 15-count indictment on July 1. A warrant was issued for Cardenas’ arrest at that time.
Cardenas remained at large until her weekend arrest during a domestic disturbance.
Cardenas is charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, embezzlement from an employee benefit plan and identity theft. A native of El Salvador legally residing in the United States, Cardenas is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley at 2 p.m. today.
The indictment alleges that during a two-year period beginning in 2004, while employed as a payroll administrator for a Houston recycling company, Cardenas caused the company to issue paychecks to a former employee with a name similar to her own and then deposited the paychecks into her own personal bank account.
She is also accused of causing employee benefit plan management company to issue checks drawn on the 401(k) accounts of other employees or former employees, forging signatures of the payees and depositing the checks into her bank account.
Each of the five wire fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. The seven embezzlement counts carry maximum penalties of five years imprisonment. The three aggravated identity theft charges each carry a mandatory penalty of two years imprisonment, which must be served consecutively to any sentence imposed for a wire fraud or embezzlement conviction.
In addition to prison terms, each of the 15 counts also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 fine.
In this economy it is probably happening more often than one would suspect all in the name of corporate globalization.
I wonder how often this happens when we off-shore these jobs to third world countries. Does India have less of this type of crime than say, Nigeria? Interesting.
I wonder if being paid a living wage would help combat this kind of crime, or is it less need based, than just mean based, like the banking industry and the professional fleecing that they do.