Washington, D.C. – A Maryland woman, Haphen Chitsa, was sentenced to five years of probation with six months in a community correctional center for her theft of over $195,000 from her former employer in 2007, 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.

Chitsa, 39, of Clarksburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty on August 1, 2008, and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth on one count of First Degree Theft. Chief Judge Lamberth also ordered the defendant to pay $195,862.73 in restitution.

According to the statement of offense signed by the defendant, from April 2006 to July 2007, Chitsa worked in the accounting department at a local moving and storage company. It was Chitsa’s job to manage accounts payable, including: handling invoices; paying vendors; and creating checks. As such, she had access to the computer system. In or about April 2007, Chitsa created a new account under the name of an existing vendor. Thereafter, Chitsa used legitimate invoices to trick the accounting system to generate duplicate checks as if to pay for the invoices, which had already been paid. During this period of time, in the District of Columbia, Chitsa generated nine checks, totaling $195,862.73. Another person involved in the scheme opened a bank account at a Maryland bank using the vendor’s business name. None of the co-schemers had the authority to open such a bank account. A co-schemer deposited the fraudulently prepared checks in the Maryland bank account, withdraw cash, and returned some cash to Chitsa.

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.