Kathy Lynn Martinez, a Garden Grove woman (51-years-old), was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in jail after she embezzled more than $1.2 million from two companies based in Santa Ana.
Martinez pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to felony charges of two counts of grand theft by embezzlement and a count of grand theft by employee. The prosecutors gave her a negotiated plea deal which resulted in the dismissal of 22 other felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement and grand theft with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white-collar crime exceeding $500,000.
Martinez was also ordered to pay back $1,283,569.68 in restitution by Orange County Superior Court Judge Stephen McGreevy.
Martinez admitted in her plea agreement that she stole money from Roche Excavating, David Roche and Santa Ana Equipment, from Dec. 17, 2012 through Aug. 8, 2021.
Martinez stole more than $1 million while an employee for all three, she said.
Matinez also stole $150,000 from Specialty Steel when she worked there, from Nov. 24, 2021, and Feb. 17, 2022, she said.
SAPD police officers said that she embezzled $151,389.46 over six months from Specialty Steel when she worked as an accounting manager. When she was arrested, she admitted to taking $105,588.54, according to police tetimony noted in court papers.
