WASHINGTON - A Maryland woman, Teresa Ann White, has been sentenced to 36 months of probation with 90 days of electronic monitoring for her role in a 2007 theft of over $195,000, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and Jeffrey W. Irvine, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service's Washington Field Office, announced today.

White, 42, of Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 1, 2008, and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth on one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of money taken by fraud. Chief Judge Lamberth also ordered the defendant to pay $68,012.73 in restitution.

According to the pleadings filed in court, from April 2006 to July 2007, a co-conspirator worked in the accounting department at a moving and storage company identified in court as "S Storage Company," in the District of Columbia. It was the co-conspirator's job to manage accounts payable, including: handling invoices; paying vendors; and posting expenses. As such, she had access to the computer system of S Storage Company, the ability to create accounts, and the responsibility to pay invoices by checks. From April to June 2007, someone at S Storage Company fraudulently created nine checks totaling $195,862.73. These checks were written on S Storage Company's check stock payable to a legitimate S Storage Company vendor, that is, a transportation company located in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In the meantime, on April 12, 2007, Teresa Ann White opened a bank account at BB&T bank using the business name of the Brazilian transportation company, but with her own social security number, address, telephone number, and other personal identifiers. From about April 12, 2007 to June 22, 2007, White took possession of the nine fraudulently created checks and deposited each and every one into the bank account that she opened in the name of the Brazilian transportation company with her own identifiers through Maryland bank branches. White shared the proceeds of the checks with the co-conspirator.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Taylor and Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Irvine commended Special Agent Eric A. Traceski and noted the assistance of MPD Detective Richard N. Espinosa. In addition, they commended Paralegal Specialist Diane Hayes, Legal Assistant April Peeler, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who prosecuted the case.