BOOKKEEPER PLEADS GUILTY IN THEFT FROM EMPLOYER

Tallahassee, Florida – Gregory R. Miller, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that Erica L. Goodwin, 29, of Tallahassee, Florida, pled guilty this morning in Federal Court to twelve counts of using wire communications facilities to execute a scheme to defraud her employer, and three counts of making and passing numerous forged securities (checks) purportedly issued from her employer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 513.

At her plea hearing, Goodwin admitted to stealing $540,871.07 from Affiliated Title Services, L.L.C. (hereinafter “ATS”), located in Tallahassee, Florida between November 1, 2005 and June 27, 2006. As described in a Statement of Facts in support of her guilty plea, Goodwin, hired as a bookkeeper at ATS, had access to various accounts of her employer and, without the knowledge of ATS, used her access to the various ATS bank accounts to:

1. wire transfer monies from those accounts into her personal bank account for the purpose of buying a house, cars, trucks, a boat and trailer, jewelry, furniture, travel and hotel expenses and other miscellaneous items.

2. transfer monies via wire among the various bank accounts of ATS to conceal the defendant’s transfer of monies to her personal bank account;

3. issue checks on the accounts of ATS payable to the defendant and other persons so the checks could be deposited in accounts of the defendant or to pay personal expenses;

Sentencing has been scheduled for December 15, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. before the Honorable

Robert L. Hinkle, Chief United States District Judge. Goodwin faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each of the twelve wire fraud counts, and a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each of the forged securities counts, as well as the forfeiture of all of the real and personal that she obtained from her fraudulent scheme. Goodwin is detained in federal custody pending her sentencing.

Mr. Miller commended the efforts of the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in successfully investigating these offenses. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz.