Rosalba Meza, 47, of Coto de Caza, is staring down a federal indictment accusing her of siphoning more than $3 million from two Anaheim-based companies she was trusted to manage. The 15-count indictment, returned by a federal grand jury, charges Meza — also known as “Rosalba Sceville” — with orchestrating a years-long embezzlement scheme while serving as controller for Trilogy Plumbing, Inc. and Matrix Management, LLC.
Between May 2017 and December 2019, Meza allegedly funneled $3,071,880 in company funds into personal bank accounts under her control. Prosecutors say she made the transfers without authorization, all while maintaining the appearance of financial legitimacy to company executives. The theft went undetected long enough for Meza to loot the companies into financial distress, even as she continued to collect her paycheck.
In February 2019, Meza told company leaders their accounts were dry and unable to cover payroll — a lie designed to cover her tracks. She failed to disclose that she had already drained the accounts. Months later, as the IRS launched enforcement action over unpaid payroll taxes, Meza doubled down, falsely claiming she had used tax funds to pay employees. In reality, the money had vanished into her own accounts.
Once the cash was in her possession, Meza allegedly went on a spending spree across borders. She made $292,137 in cash withdrawals at bank branches and withdrew over $1 million from ATMs in both the United States and Mexico. Nearly $870,209 was wired to Mexican bank accounts tied to a family member, and another $250,000 was funneled to friends and relatives in smaller transfers.
The indictment also accuses Meza of filing false tax returns from 2017 through 2019, deliberately omitting the embezzled funds as income. She now faces three counts of subscribing to a false tax return — each carrying up to three years in prison — alongside four counts of money laundering (10 years each) and eight counts of wire fraud (20 years each).
Meza, arrested earlier this month on a criminal complaint, is scheduled for arraignment on November 29 in United States District Court. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are leading the probe. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Adams is prosecuting. An indictment is not a conviction — Meza is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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