Spring Woman Sentenced to 23 Months for Embezzling Nearly $1 Million from Employer

A 52-year-old woman, Sonia Yvonne Rodriguez, has been sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for embezzling $938,387.26 from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Rodriguez, who worked as an office manager for a local heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning company for 26 years, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on August 15. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered Rodriguez to serve 23 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release.

During the hearing, the victim, who considered Rodriguez one of her best friends, testified about the deep betrayal she felt. Rodriguez admitted to embezzling the funds allocated for federal tax payments between 2015 and 2020. She would enter payments into the company’s accounting software and later clear them from the register, redirecting the funds into her personal bank account.

Rodriguez is permitted to remain on bond until she voluntarily surrenders to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation was conducted by the Secret Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherin Daniel and James Hu prosecuting the case.