ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A staff accountant at a Chantilly transportation logistics company has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for her role in a years-long embezzlement scheme that siphoned more than $258,000 from the company through fake property damage claims. Dorothea Lassiter, 45, of Ashburn, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and was ordered to pay full restitution.
Lassiter, an accountant with access to the company’s finance systems, used her position to create and approve phony invoices tied to non-existent property damage claims. From at least July 2011 through December 2015, she worked in lockstep with Okai Quashie-Idun, a co-employee in the company’s claims department, to manufacture false claims and funnel money to a network of co-conspirators, five of whom were not employed by the company.
According to court documents, Idun initiated the fraud by fabricating claims, which he then passed to Lassiter. She processed them as legitimate payables, cut checks, and sent them to designated payees who agreed to cash or deposit the funds. A significant portion of the stolen money was funneled directly into Lassiter’s personal bank account, from which she kicked back portions to Idun and others in the scheme.
Lassiter pleaded guilty on September 7. Her co-conspirator, Okai Quashie-Idun, entered a guilty plea on September 13 and awaits sentencing. Another key player, Denise (“Dennis”) Crawford, who served as one of the payees in the fraud ring, pleaded guilty on October 25 and is also awaiting judgment. All face potential prison time and financial penalties.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Sullivan. Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Terrence P. McKeown, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, announced the sentencing following the ruling by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.
An asset forfeiture judgment exceeding $258,000 has been imposed on Lassiter. Court records and related filings are available through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or via PACER under Case No. 1:16-cr-185. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has released official details on its website.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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