Woman admits to stealing more than $400K from Ultradent
Feb. 26, 2013 – SALT LAKE CITY — A South Jordan woman admitted Monday that she embezzled more than $400,000 from her employer over two years.
Monica Paris, pleaded guilty to money laundering in U.S. District Court, admitting that she stole $462,455 between August 2010 and February 2012 from Ultradent Products, Inc. The woman apparently started working for the dental product production and distribution company in 1997, according to court documents.
As the assistant to the director of major accounts, she was responsible for purchasing promotional materials including gift items for customers, vendors and other individuals and entities. Starting in 2010, Paris began filling out fraudulent expense reports for which she was paid and purchasing personal items that she sought and obtained reimbursement payments for from the company, court documents state.
She apparently approved the payment of the expense reports and directed the funds be paid directly into her personal bank account instead of first going through a company account. Paris used the money to make car payments, and pay for air travel, vacations, food, entertainment and personal luxury items, according to court documents.
Sentencing has been set in the case for June 27, at which time Paris could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. News Source
UPDATE – PARIS SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS
Sept 2013 – As a part of her plea agreement, Paris admitted that beginning around August 2010 and continuing through February 2012, she fraudulently submitted expense reports for personal reimbursement payments for items she never actually purchased. She then fraudulently approved the expense reports on behalf of Ultradent and directed that the reimbursement payments be sent to her personal bank account. She also admitted that she fraudulently claimed that personal items she purchased at Sam’s Club, including large amounts of pre-paid credit cards, were company expenses for which she sought reimbursement payments. Using her Sam’s Club membership, she admitted she bought personal items using the credit cards of two other company employees. She then submitted the purchases for reimbursement and created false invoices to show that the purchases were for company expenses.
Read more on the DA’s website – > https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/south-jordan-woman-sentenced-30-months-federal-prison-after-money-laundering-conviction
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