Former dow jones employee pleads guilty to stealing more than $400,000 from the company
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
June 23, 2011 |
TRENTON, N.J. – A former employee of Dow Jones & Company admitted today in Trenton federal court to stealing more than $400,000 while employed at a Dow Jones office in Monmouth Junction, N.J., U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Jacqueline Bucco, 32, of Bensalem, Pa., entered her guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an Information charging her with one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made during Bucco’s guilty plea proceeding:
From at least as early as March 2009 through March 2011, Bucco was employed as a fulfillment staff assistant in Dow Jones’ Monmouth Junction office. Among other things, Bucco processed sales orders received from Dow Jones customers into the company’s internal systems. She also handled billing inquiries and adjustments to customer accounts.
Bucco admitted that she accessed a dormant internal Dow Jones system that contained company funds and initiated transfers from the system to three bank accounts she controlled for her personal use. In all, Bucco obtained approximately $429,210 from Dow Jones, much of which she spent on personal items, such as:
• a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle;
• 25 Coach items, including suitcases, purses, and checkbooks;
• two Louis Vuitton items, including a purse and a wallet;
• two Apple iPads and two Apple iPods;
• a Kindle;
• an X-Box Kinect;
• a Motorola Droid;
• a Nikon digital camera;
• a Meade telescope;
• a Sony handycam;
• two JBL 500-series speakers;
• a 32-inch Polaroid TV-DVD combination player;
• four guitars, including 3 Gibson Les Paul guitars and 1 Sterling guitar;
• two pairs of sunglasses, including Salvatore Ferragamo and Coach brands;
• jewelry – including five necklaces, eight bracelets, two pairs of earnings, and three rings;
• two dresses from David’s Bridal, including a wedding dress; and
• a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes
The wire fraud count to which Bucco pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain or loss resulting from her offense. Sentencing is currently scheduled for October 13, 2011.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacob F. Christine, for the investigation of the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Mendelsohn of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Joshua D. Altman Esq., New Brunswick, N.J.
