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Press Release

Employee of a Silver Spring Non-Profit Admits to Stealing Over $270,000

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland

Greenbelt, Maryland – Monica Kendrick, age 47, of Walkersville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud arising from a scheme in which she embezzled money from her employer.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Brian Ebert of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to her plea agreement, In May 2014, Kendrick was hired as the office and finance administrator for a non-profit organization located in Silver Spring, Maryland, which acted as a trade association for the herbal products industry.  Almost immediately after being hired, Kendrick began stealing money from the company.  From May 2014 to November 2015, Kendrick wrote over 80 unauthorized checks from the company and deposited the fraudulent checks into a bank account.  She then withdrew the illicit proceeds from the account.

Kendrick has agreed to pay restitution of $271,921.06, the total amount of loss resulting from the scheme.

Kendrick faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang scheduled sentencing for August 15, 2016, at 10:30 a.m.

Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud.  Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations.  Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants.  For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Jo Bressack, who is prosecuting the case.

Updated June 8, 2016

Topic
Financial Fraud