Lori Andrews, Rent Check Theft, New Jersey 2022

Camden Woman Admits to Massive Rent Check Theft Scheme

A Camden County woman has pleaded guilty to stealing approximately 700 checks and money orders from her employer and failing to pay taxes on the income, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Lori Andrews, 61, of Voorhees, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging her with one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of income tax evasion.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Andrews worked in the property management office of an apartment building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tenants paid their rent and other expenses to the property management office. From January 2011 to October 2018, Andrews stole 697 checks and money orders totaling $2.67 million from her employer, drove them from Philadelphia to New Jersey, and deposited those checks and money orders into a nominee bank account that she opened using a fake Social Security number.

Andrews admitted that she used the money to pay personal expenses. She also admitted that for tax years 2011 through 2015, she did not report the stolen income on her income tax returns or pay income taxes on that income. Andrews admitted that she did not file income tax returns for years 2016 through 2018 and failed to pay income taxes on her income and stolen funds.

The interstate transportation of stolen property charge to which Andrews pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison; the income tax evasion charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years. Both counts carry a potential fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins and Postal Inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector Damon E. Wood of the Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Division in Camden.

Defendant Information:

Defendant: Lori Andrews

Charges: Interstate transportation of stolen property, income tax evasion

City and State: Camden, New Jersey

Date: October 27, 2022 (sentencing)

Sentence: TBA (sentencing scheduled)

Dollar Amount: $2.67 million

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

White Collar Crime

John B. Maia, Lying to Federal Agents, Connecticut 2013

Mar 18, 2015

White Collar Crime

General Electric Co, Wire Fraud, Ohio 1992

Jan 15, 1992

White Collar Crime

Adys Sanchez, Misuse of Social Security Number, Massachusetts 2019

Feb 27, 2019

White Collar Crime

Morales Ceron, Money Laundering, Florida 2008

Jan 15, 2008