Melodie Ann Eckland, a 55-year-old Hillsboro woman, pleaded guilty to a multi-year scheme to defraud her employer, a non-profit adoption and surrogacy agency operating in Oregon and Washington, and her extended family.
Eckland, who was employed as a bookkeeper for the agency from at least 2011 and continuing until April 2018, used her position to steal funds from the agency by making unauthorized wire transfers and writing unauthorized checks to herself.
According to court documents, Eckland maintained two sets of financial records to conceal her scheme, one of which she provided to the agency’s board of directors, and the other, which showed the true payments she made to herself over the course of her employment.
To further conceal her theft, Eckland applied for loans from at least five lending agencies on behalf of the adoption agency, using the names of the agency’s owners without their permission. She also stole funds from a bank account opened on behalf of her deceased brother-in-law’s estate, which was valued at more than $123,000.
Eckland’s scheme resulted in a total loss of more than $1.5 million for her victims, including the adoption agency and its owners, her brother-in-law’s estate, and the IRS. She faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $750,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.
As part of her plea agreement, Eckland has agreed to pay restitution of up to $2.5 million. The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Hillsboro Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement. Eckland is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez.
Related Federal Cases
- Cody C. Halsey, Wire Fraud, OR 2016 · New Mexico
- Gregory Walsh, Real Estate Investment Fraud, Oregon 2023 · New Mexico
- Jay Byron Wright, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, GA 2024 · Pennsylvania
- Isaac Benjamin Voss, Wire Fraud, OR 2024 · Washington
- Christopher Glynn, Wire Fraud, New Jersey 2019 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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