BLM Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Property
Federal Government Seeking $73,206 in Restitution
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that Katrina Telleria, 35, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty this afternoon in United States District Court to three counts of theft of government gift cards, one count of making a false statement to a department or agency of the United States, and one count of theft of government equipment. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on April 11, 2012, charging Telleria with 21 felony counts of theft of government property, 17 misdemeanors counts of theft of government property, and three felony false statement counts.
According to the plea agreement, from 2008 to 2011, Telleria was employed as a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administrative assistant authorized to use a government-issued MasterCard to make purchases for office supplies, firefighting operations, and administrative purposes, including an incentive gift card program in the BLM’s Boise District Office Fire Program. According to the plea agreement, the gift cards purchased by Telleria were to be distributed to district office fire supervisors to give as an award to employees. Telleria instead used her government-issued MasterCard to purchase “general-use gift cards” (American Express cards, Visa cards, and cards issued by MasterCard), which she then stole and appropriated to her own personal use. According to the plea agreement, Telleria admitted that on at least 38 occasions, she acquired the general-use gift cards on her Government MasterCard, and then stole the gift cards. Telleria further agreed that total losses to the government amount to $73,206. The government is seeking full restitution.
The felony charge of theft of government property is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The felony charge of making a false statement is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of 250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The penalty for misdemeanor theft of government property is punishable by up to one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release.
Telleria is set for sentencing on February 25, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case is being investigated by the BLM's Office of Law Enforcement and Security.
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