Katrina Sears, Defrauding JabberBlabber, Tennessee 2015

MEMPHIS, TN – Katrina Sears, a former employee of JabberBlabber, Inc., a children’s magazine based in Memphis, has pled guilty to defrauding the publication of more than $70,000. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the plea on Thursday.

Katrina Sears, 32, of Horn Lake, MS, worked as an accounts receivable clerk for JabberBlabber between February 2008 and February 2014. During her six-year tenure, she had authorization to receive and open letters delivered to the magazine, which often included checks. Sears was required to record the payments into the magazine’s QuickBooks accounting software program and provide them to designated staff members for deposit.

However, court information revealed that Sears embezzled more than 150 letters containing checks made payable to JabberBlabber. The former employee reportedly forged the payee line on the checks and deposited the money into her personal Bank of America account. Sears would then delete or edit the corresponding invoice from the QuickBooks accounting software.

A review of JabberBlabber’s accounting records by the United States Postal Inspection Service showed that approximately 160 invoices had been deleted or edited from the software. Furthermore, a review of Sears’ bank records revealed she had deposited more than $70,000 worth of checks initially made payable to JabberBlabber.

On Thursday, October 8th, 2015, Sears pled guilty to one count of obstruction of correspondence. Sears faces up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. She is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. on January 8th, 2016.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leetra Harris is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

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