Embezzler Sentenced To Year Behind Bars, $1.3M Restitution

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – A Riverside resident was sentenced Thursday to a year in federal prison for embezzling $1.5 million from a metal forging company where she worked as the controller and co-general manager.

Jacquelin Dyer was also ordered by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu to pay $1.3 million in restitution to Fontana-based Pacific Forge Inc., in addition to the $160,000 she has already paid back.

The 68-year-old Riverside resident, who pleaded guilty last September to one federal count of mail fraud, was ordered to begin serving her prison term next week.

As the controller, Dyer was responsible for all aspects of accounting at Pacific Forge, and she was authorized to sign corporate checks for amounts up to $5,000. Over the course of about 10 years, she used Pacific Forge corporate checks to pay her personal bills, including her mortgage, income tax and vehicle repairs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Dyer printed and signed corporate checks under $5,000 made to appear they would be used to pay Pacific Forge vendors, but in reality were mailed to pay her personal expenses.

She pleaded guilty specifically to signing a $4,752 check that she mailed to American Express to pay her personal credit card bill. False entries in the Pacific Forge books made the check appear to be a payment to a vendor, documents filed in Los Angeles federal court show.

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--City News Service/Pixabay image via AlexVan