Credit: Review-Journal
Jennifer McCain-Bray, former employee of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, has pleaded guilty to a multimillion dollar ink and toner cartridge scheme.
As the Review-Journal reports, the 43-year-old has pleaded guilty to “mail fraud and tax evasion in scheme to steal and sell more than $6.7 million (€5.7 million) worth of ink and toner cartridges from the public utility.”
She admitted one count of mail fraud, and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. Sentencing has been set for 29 January 2019.
The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 (€215,892) fine, while the maximum penalty for subscribing to a false tax return is 3 years in prison and a $250,000 (€215,892) fine.
In addition, McCain-Bray “faces a $6.7 million (€5.7 million) criminal forfeiture money judgement”.
The former Water District employee admitted that between January 2007 and December 2015, she channelled district funds into the purchase of ink and toner cartridges which she then transported to a New Jersey buyer in return for “money and other things of value”.
McCain-Bray spent this money on a variety of luxuries, including trips, gifts and extensive remodelling of her home.
District officials have revealed that McCain-Bray “fraudulently bought and sold ‘easily’ tens of thousands of ink and toner cartridges”. Her actions were only discovered after a colleague reported “suspicious activity”.
“Throughout this process, we have cooperated with the FBI, providing full and complete access to all information in our possession,” commented water district spokesman Bronson Mack. “The district has pursued and continues to pursue every avenue available to recover all assets that were lost as a result of the fraudulent purchases.”
The case is still under investigation by the FBI and the IRS.
