Christina Markus, Wire Fraud, California 2023

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Table of Contents

Former Accountant Charged with Defrauding Two Marin Car Dealerships of $1.7 Million

San Francisco, CA – Christina Markus, a 54-year-old former accountant, has been charged with defrauding two Marin County car dealerships of $1.7 million. Markus appeared in federal court in San Francisco on April 20 to face an indictment charging her with four counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Markus worked for the dealerships from 2010 to 2018, holding various titles including Office Accountant, Payroll Administrator, and Office Manager. Her responsibilities included payroll processing, bank reconciliations, and posting ledgers for the dealerships using their ‘dealer management system’ (DMS).

The indictment alleges that starting in January 2014 and continuing through October 2018, Markus created special payrolls for herself, writing unauthorized checks and causing funds to be moved from the dealerships’ bank accounts to her personal accounts. Markus hid her fraud by deleting the record of fraudulent checks, bonuses, and payroll direct deposits within DMS and by manipulating bank reconciliations and ledgers.

During the nearly five-year period, Markus embezzled more than $1.7 million by causing funds to be moved from her employer’s accounts to her personal bank accounts. Markus remains out of custody and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 20 before United States District Judge Charles R. Breyer.

The indictment charges Markus with four counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. The maximum statutory sentence for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 is 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss amount, a three-year period of supervised release following prison, and the payment of restitution for losses caused.

Markus is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Tartakovsky and Kevin Yeh with the assistance of Amala James and Mimi Lam. The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the FBI.