Oakland, California – In a shocking case of corporate corruption, Celia Nipper, a 62-year-old resident of Discovery Bay, California, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for committing wire fraud, bank fraud, and filing false tax returns in connection with a scheme to embezzle funds from a real estate technology company.
According to the plea agreement, Nipper, who worked as an office manager, used her position of financial control to redirect funds intended for her employer to accounts that she controlled. She admitted to opening bank accounts in the name of her employer without disclosing their existence, and then directed customer payments to those accounts for her own personal gain.
Nipper’s scheme, which lasted from 2005 to 2011, defrauded the company of more than $2 million. She also filed false U.S. Income Tax Returns for the tax years 2009, 2010, and 2011, understating her income and resulting in a tax loss to the United States of at least $290,000.
On April 7, 2016, a federal grand jury charged Nipper with three counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and three counts of filing a false tax return. Pursuant to her plea agreement, Nipper pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of filing a false tax return.
As part of the sentence, Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. issued a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $2,029,068 against Nipper and ordered an April 30, 2018 hearing to determine the amount Nipper will be ordered to pay in restitution. Nipper was also ordered to serve 36 months of supervised release following her prison term, during which time she may not undertake any position of fiduciary capacity.
Nipper currently is released on a bond and has been ordered to self-surrender on or before April 30, 2018, to begin serving her prison term. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Green is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Noble Hughes and Katie Turner. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the IRS.
Nipper’s case highlights the need for corporate accountability and the importance of robust internal controls to prevent embezzlement and other forms of financial corruption.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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