Richmond, Calif.
– A former accountant for a Richmond-based paving company has been accused of embezzling more than $800,000 from the firm, according to prosecutors. Angela Fae Brown, 53, of Olivehurst, was arraigned Tuesday on felony charges of embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft, and tax evasion, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.Prosecutors allege that Brown engaged in an embezzlement scheme between September 2017 and November 2022, bilking more than $800,000 from her employer, Viking Pavers. They say she used her accounting skills to exploit financial vulnerabilities in the company to illegally enrich herself for nearly five years.
According to the district attorney’s office, Brown pretended to be the owner of the company and created a fake account with a payment processing service linked to her personal bank account. She then generated hundreds of phony invoices for services and sent them electronically to the fake account she controlled, which she then paid with the company’s funds through the payment processing service. This in turn funneled the money into her personal bank account.
“Brown’s trusted employee status – and access to various financial controls – allowed her to conceal her embezzlement scheme for a long time,” the district attorney’s office said.
Brown was eventually confronted by a manager, according to prosecutors. The Richmond Police Department, along with financial forensic analysts from the district attorney’s office, launched an investigation, which culminated in her arrest on April 19. The district attorney’s office said Brown is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility on $2 million bail.
