FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A former accounting contractor accused of diverting nearly $2 million from a Falls Church software company has been released from federal custody under conditions prohibiting her from entering casinos or participating in any form of gambling.
U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick ordered Simone Murray to refrain from entering any gambling establishment and from engaging in gambling activities, including online gambling. The restriction was handwritten into an order setting Murray's release conditions following a detention hearing Friday in federal court in Alexandria.
Murray was released on a personal-recognizance bond after prosecutors requested that she remain detained and her attorney argued for release with conditions, according to a docket entry posted Monday. Murray faces seven federal wire fraud counts.
The gambling prohibition follows an FBI review that allegedly identified approximately $2.34 million in transactions at casinos and other gambling establishments between September 2022 and December 2025.
Most of that activity involved MGM National Harbor Casino, an FBI special agent said in a declaration filed in support of the government's detention request.
Murray identified gambling as one reason for her alleged conduct during a recorded interview after her arrest, according to the declaration.
RELATED: Fairfax County Contractor Accused Of Stealing Nearly $2 Million From Falls Church Software Firm
Murray received approximately $406,440 in compensation from the Falls Church software company between 2023 and 2025, according to the indictment and FBI declaration.
Investigators allege that Murray diverted approximately $1,982,295 from the company through 106 fraudulent transfers to her personal bank account between September 2022 and November 2025. The indictment provides a less specific total, alleging that the company lost more than $1.5 million.
Federal prosecutors accuse Murray of altering legitimate vendor profiles, creating fake vendors and generating fraudulent invoices and payment requests. Company officials allegedly approved payments they believed were intended for vendors, but the money was instead deposited into Murray's account.
The indictment identifies the company only as a software firm located in Falls Church.
Fitzpatrick's order requires Murray to live with her former husband in Fairfax and prohibits her from moving without advance approval from pretrial services or the court.
She may not leave the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area without prior approval. Murray also may not obtain a passport or other international travel document.
Prosecutors had argued that Murray posed a flight risk because she is a German citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States. The government said it had not found evidence of international travel plans.
The order gives pretrial services access to all of Murray's financial records. It also requires her to notify prospective employers about the criminal charges and obtain approval from pretrial services for future employment.
Murray must undergo mental health testing or treatment if directed by pretrial services.
Her access to computers and the internet is also restricted. The order prohibits her from possessing or using an internet-connected computer unless monitoring software is installed by pretrial services.
That software may restrict or record her computer activity, including keystrokes, applications, browsing history, emails and chat conversations. Murray must pay the monitoring costs and may not remove, alter, reverse-engineer or circumvent the software.
A federal grand jury indicted Murray on Aug. 12. She was arrested the next day and initially held pending Friday's detention hearing.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. Murray's arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday in federal court in Alexandria.
Brittany M. Davidson of the Federal Public Defender's Office represents Murray.
The charges are allegations. An indictment is not a finding of guilt.
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