Mississippi Woman, Kim Parish, Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Local Business

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that KIM PARISH, age 50, a resident of Picayune, Mississippi, pled guilty today to bank fraud and wire fraud.

According to court documents, PARISH worked as an accountant for a New Orleans information technology services business. For approximately four years, PARISH defrauded the business through two schemes. The first scheme involved PARISH issuing more than 200 checks to herself and to “petty cash” by forging the signature of the business’s owner. The second scheme involved PARISH improperly crediting herself with bonus pay through the business’s payroll system. PARISH took a variety of steps to conceal the schemes and defrauded the business of approximately $540,201.

PARISH faces up to 30 years imprisonment and up to a $1,000,000 fine for her bank fraud conviction and up to 20 years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine for her wire fraud conviction. Sentencing is scheduled on January 21, 2015 before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service for investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of prosecution.

(Download Factual Basis )