TALLAHASSEE BOOKKEEPER CHARGED IN THEFT FROM EMPLOYER

Tallahassee, Florida – Gregory R. Miller, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Tallahassee has returned an Indictment charging Erica L. Goodwin, 29, of Tallahassee, Florida, with twelve counts of using wire communications facilities to execute a scheme to defraud her employer, and eight 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.

The Indictment alleges that between November 1, 2005 and June 27, 2006, Goodwin was hired as a bookkeeper at Affiliated Title Services (hereinafter “ATS”) in Tallahassee, Florida, and that Goodwin had access to various accounts of her employer. The Indictment further charges that, without the knowledge of ATS, Goodwin used her access to the various ATS bank accounts to:

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

2. wire transfer monies 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;

4. issue ATS payroll checks to herself for additional monies in excess of her salary and for periods of time for which she had not been employed by ATS.

The Indictment further alleges that the fraud executed by Goodwin against her employer involved more than $500,000.00.

Goodwin faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each of the 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.

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

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

For additional information, please contact Alan Sprowls at (850) 942-8430.