A Scranton woman has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for embezzling nearly $2 million from her former employer.
Catherine Latoski, 53, of Davenport, Florida, was found guilty of committing wire fraud by embezzling funds from her former employer, a Scranton-based for-profit educational institution.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Latoski was the Director of Accounting Services from November 2016 to June 2021. During this time, she charged nearly $2 million in personal expenses on corporate credit cards issued by her former employer.
The funds were used to pay for vacations, Disney timeshares, cruises, personal utility bills, shopping expenses, her child’s college tuition, and to fund her and her family members’ personal businesses selling health and beauty products for Jordan Essentials.
Latoski then used her accounting position to facilitate having her former employer pay off the credit card charges, including by creating false entries in the company’s books and records to conceal the expenses.
On top of her prison sentence, Judge Malachy E. Mannion ordered Latoski to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment. Latoski was also ordered to pay $1,843,741.22 in restitution and to forfeit five Disney timeshares that she purchased with the proceeds of her fraud.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuting the case.
Catherine Latoski’s case serves as a reminder of the severity of white-collar crimes and the importance of accountability.
Reporting for Grimy Times.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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