Dolores Arriola Espino, a Special Programs Federal Bookkeeper with the Garland Independent School District (GISD) in Texas, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for embezzling money by creating a fake translation/interpretation company. Espino must repay $92,112.50 in restitution as well after duping the district with her scheme.
In 2005, Espino created a fictitious vendor called A.Z. who was supposedly supplying the GISD with translation and interpretation services. She generated fraudulent invoices reflecting the services allegedly performed by A.Z., and charged services to Department of Education Title I programs.
Espino signed her name on the invoices and used her supervisor's signature stamp to comply with GISD requirements. She then submitted the fraudulent invoices to the GISD Business Office for payment. Espino picked up the payment checks and deposited them into her own personal bank account.
Espino got away with this scheme for almost a year, and will be serving almost that much time in prison for her misdeed.
10 November 2008
