Former Nevada Power Employee Indicted on Federal Fraud Charges for Theft of $1.6 Million from Company Bank Account
Las Vegas, Nev. – A former Nevada Power employee has been indicted by the Federal Grand Jury on Wire Fraud charges for stealing at least $1.6 million from a Nevada Power bank account, announced Gregory A. Brower, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
"It is a federal offense to use interstate commerce to execute a scheme to defraud," said U.S. Attorney Brower. "Individuals who steal or embezzle monies and use wire transfers to do so face the risk of federal charges."
Kyle Roher, 38, of Las Vegas, was indicted on April 2, 2008, and charged with 19 counts of Wire Fraud and Criminal Forfeiture. The Indictment was sealed until April 16, 2008, when Roher surrendered to the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to the Indictment, Roher was employed as a Senior Business Analyst at Nevada Power and was responsible for financial planning. Roher allegedly devised and executed a scheme to steal money from a Nevada Power "general spending" bank account by preparing forged wire transfer forms which authorized disbursements from the Nevada Power bank account to two bank accounts that Roher controlled at Bank of America. Between September 20, 2002, and October 26, 2006, Roher submitted approximately 19 such forms for disbursements, causing the transfer of approximately $1.6 million to his Bank of America accounts. In October 2006, after discovering Roher's fraudulent scheme, Bank of America froze disbursements to Roher's accounts including another $100,000 wire transfer which Roher had fraudulently authorized.
If convicted, Kyle Roher faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. On Wednesday, April 16, 2008, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Leen and pled not guilty to the charges, and was released on a personal recognizance bond pending trial.
The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey T. Tao.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
