Malden Woman Stole $795K From Employer: Feds

MALDEN, MA — A Malden woman accused of stealing nearly $800,000 from her employer has been charged in federal court. Kayla Figelski, 32, was charged with one count of bank fraud and released on conditions following an appearance in federal court in Boston Thursday.

Figelski stole at least $795,000 from her employer, a Malden law firm, between April 2017 and June 2019, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Federal authorities say she forged checks to herself from the firm's checking accounts, including conservatorship and trust accounts the firm maintained for its elderly clients and their estates, and deposited the checks into her own account.

She then withdrew the funds, or directly cashed the checks, and modified bank statements to make it appear the checks were written to legitimate vendors instead of to her, according to the USAO.

The charge of bank fraud carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.