Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), is facing trial alongside other party officials for alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds through a scheme of fake jobs. The trial could have significant implications for Le Pen’s political future, especially as her party gains momentum in the wake of recent elections.
A former bank CEO, Shan Hanes, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for embezzling $47.1 million from Heartland Tri-State Bank in a ‘pig butchering’ scam. Hanes fell victim to the scheme, initially investing his own money and then escalating to stealing from local organizations and his daughter’s college fund. The scam involved gaining the victim’s trust through a fabricated relationship and then presenting a fake business opportunity, leading to significant financial losses.
Shan Hanes, the former CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in a $47.1 million crypto scam. Hanes was convicted of embezzlement, diverting bank funds into crypto accounts controlled by scammers. This led to the bank’s collapse, making it one of five banks to close in 2023. Hanes was caught up in a ‘pig butchering’ scam, where he was lured into making crypto investments with promised returns, which he never received.
Devon T. Horace, former president of Alberta Main Street, a Portland nonprofit, has been accused of stealing at least $100,000 from the organization’s operating account. Horace has pleaded not guilty to 16 counts, including aggravated theft, theft, theft by deception, and falsifying business records. The alleged embezzlement occurred over a year and a half, with Horace diverting donations from Nike and the Portland Trail Blazers. Board members discovered the discrepancies, and Horace was indicted in March 2023.
An investigation revealed that Victoria Zerillo, the general manager of a non-profit organization providing repair services to senior citizens, embezzled over $410,000 from the non-profit between December 2015 and November 2022. Zerillo’s fraudulent activities involved creating false bank statements and destroying records to conceal the theft. She used the stolen funds for personal expenses, including luxury vacations. The victim of the embezzlement testified that Zerillo’s actions caused significant financial harm. This case serves as a reminder to report any suspected financial fraud by calling 833-FRAUD-11.
Angela Fae Brown, a former accountant for Viking Pavers in Richmond, California, has been charged with embezzling more than $800,000 from the company between September 2017 and November 2022. Brown allegedly exploited her accounting skills to illegally enrich herself by creating a fake account with a payment processing service linked to her personal bank account. She then generated phony invoices and paid them with the company’s funds, funneling the money into her own account. Brown’s trusted employee status allowed her to conceal her embezzlement scheme for nearly five years before she was confronted by a manager and authorities launched an investigation.
Former treasurer of the Aurora Farmer’s Fair, 54-year-old Scott A. Petty, has been charged with theft after an investigation by Indiana State Police revealed he stole over $70,000 from the Fair’s bank accounts. The investigation, launched in March after reports of missing funds, found that Petty made numerous unauthorized purchases using the Fair’s credit card and bank account, including personal vacations, bills, car payments, and other miscellaneous items.
Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services (M&M Financial) has detected fraudulent activities involving forged documents and embezzlement of company funds in its retail vehicle loan division. The company estimates the financial impact of the fraud to be around 1.50 billion rupees ($18 million). Investigations are ongoing, and corrective actions have been taken, including the arrest of individuals involved. M&M Financial has delayed the announcement of its quarterly results to May 30th due to the fraud investigation.
