Santa Ana woman charged with embezzling more than $164K from her employer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 18CF1623

Date: June 8, 2018

ACCOUNTING MANAGER CHARGED WITH GRAND THEFT AND FORGERY FOR EMBEZZLING MORE THAN $164,000 FROM COMMERCIAL LIGHTING BUSINESS IN SANTA ANA

SANTA ANA, Calif. – An accounting manager was charged this week with grand theft and forgery for embezzling more than $164,000 from a commercial lighting business in Santa Ana.

Defendant: Carol Sandoval Lopez, 45, Santa Ana

Charged on June 6, 2018, with the following felony counts:

• Grant theft
• (40) Forgery
• Sentencing Enhancements:
  • Loss over $100,000
  • Property loss over $100,000
  • Aggravated white collar crime

Maximum Sentence: 27 years and eight months in state prison

Pre-trial hearing on June 15, 2018, 8:30 a.m. atDepartment C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana

Bail: $165,000

Circumstances of the Case

• At the time of the crime, Lopez was employed as the accounting manager for a commercial lighting business in Santa Ana and was responsible for maintaining the company’s finances and financial records.
• Between Aug.18, 2014, and July 6, 2017, Lopez is accused of writing 40 unauthorized checks made payable to “Cash” from her employer’s account.
• The defendant is further accused of forging the signature of the company’s owner on each check, depositing all 40 checks, totaling more than $164,000, into her personal bank accounts, and later withdrawing the money from various ATMs.
• In August 2017,the owner of the business discovered the theft and forgery after reviewing online banking records and finding several unauthorized checks made payable to “Cash.”

Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Marc Labreche, Major Fraud Unit.