51-Year-Old Woman in Spring Pleads Guilty in Wire Fraud Embezzlement Scheme

A 51-year-old woman has pleaded guilty in a wire fraud embezzlement case, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced. Sonia Yvonne Rodriguez, who worked as an office manager for a local heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning company for approximately 26 years, admitted to embezzling $938,387.26 from 2015 to 2020.

Rodriguez acknowledged that she falsified payments in the company’s accounting software for federal tax obligations and then redirected the funds to her personal bank account by clearing them from the check register.

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has accepted Rodriguez’s plea and scheduled sentencing for November 21. Rodriguez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. She is allowed to remain on bond until her sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherin Daniel and James Hu.