Leunea D. Myers, Wire Fraud, MD 2024

Leunea D. Myers, 38, of Clinton, Md., has pled guilty to a federal wire fraud charge for stealing more than $1.5 million from her employer, a decades-old trade association management firm in Washington, D.C. The former office manager exploited her position for nearly three years, funneling company funds into her own pockets through fraudulent checks and unauthorized credit card charges.

Myers appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on the charge, which carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale announced the plea, confirming that sentencing is set for June 28, 2018, before Judge Christopher R. Cooper. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Myers faces 51 to 63 months behind bars and a fine of up to $150,000.

From February 2015 to November 2017, Myers served as office manager and bookkeeper for the company, referred to in court documents as ‘Company A.’ Her duties included tracking client billings, depositing receipts, reconciling bank accounts, writing checks, and preparing financial statements—trust she systematically betrayed. Prosecutors say she began siphoning funds as early as April 2015, using company credit cards for personal expenses and writing checks payable directly to herself or to third parties to cover her own debts.

The embezzlement totaled $1,550,075—money that will now be subject to full restitution under the terms of her plea agreement. In addition, a forfeiture money judgment for the identical sum has been filed, ensuring the government will seize assets tied to the crime. Authorities say the fraud went undetected for months due to the victim company’s internal oversight failures.

The FBI’s Washington Field Office led the investigation, uncovering a paper trail of falsified records and suspicious transactions that ultimately exposed Myers’ scheme. Investigators praised the coordination between federal agents and prosecutors, particularly highlighting the work of former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh on forfeiture, Paralegal Specialist Kate Abrey, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Marston, who is handling the prosecution.

This case underscores the quiet devastation of white-collar crime—where trust is weaponized and balance sheets bleed dry. For Myers, the cost of greed now includes not only years in prison but a permanent mark as a convicted fraudster. As the June sentencing looms, the fallout from her betrayal continues to reverberate through a company that once relied on her to keep its books clean.