RICHMOND – A former accountant for a Richmond-based paving company is accused of embezzling greater than $800,000 from the corporate, based on prosecutors.
Angela Fae Brown, 53, of Olivehurst, is charged with embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft and tax evasion, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office said in a news release. She was charged with the crime on Tuesday.
According to prosecutors, between September 2017 and November 2022, Brown participated in an embezzlement scheme that defrauded her employer, Viking Pavers, of greater than $800,000.
“Brown used her accounting skills to exploit financial vulnerabilities in the company and enrich herself illegally for nearly five years,” prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, Brown pretended to be the owner of the business and created a fake account with a payment processing service that was linked to her personal checking account.
Brown created lots of of pretend invoices for services and sent them electronically to the fake account she controlled, then paid them using the corporate's funds through the payment processing service, prosecutors said.
This in turn transferred the cash to her personal checking account, based on prosecutors.
“Brown’s status as a trusted employee – and access to various financial controls – enabled her to conceal her embezzlement schemes for a long time,” prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, Brown was eventually confronted by a manager. Richmond police, together with financial forensic analysts from the district attorney's office, launched an investigation that culminated in her arrest on April 19.
Prosecutors said Brown is being held on the Martinez Detention Center on $2 million bail.
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