LOS ANGELES – A brazen scheme to siphon over $1.7 million from a Santa Clarita business through fabricated diversity recruitment services has landed three residents in federal court. Judith Fernandez-Adelugba, 43, of Stevenson Ranch, and Alex Lawrence Wilkison, 47, a.k.a. “Alex Wilkerson,” of Canyon Country, were arrested today following a grand jury indictment detailing 17 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that Fernandez-Adelugba, formerly a human resources manager at Company-1 – a Santa Clarita-based firm specializing in high-performance racing engine design – colluded with Wilkison, the registered owner of the fictitious firm Engineering Talent Connect (ETC), and her father, George Albert Fernandez, 73, of Stevenson Ranch, president and CEO of Business Solutions Services (BSS). From March 2015 until her February 2018 resignation, the trio allegedly used BSS and ETC to submit fake invoices to Company-1 for diversity recruitment services that were never rendered.
Fernandez-Adelugba, responsible for implementing diversity recruitment programs at Company-1 and authorized to approve invoices up to $25,000, is accused of approving the fraudulent bills, forwarding them to the accounting department, and ensuring payment. The alleged scheme involved billing for services like job posting, candidate searching, and recruitment – all phantom activities designed to line their pockets. Wilkison, married to a colleague and friend of Fernandez-Adelugba at Company-1, facilitated the operation through ETC, while Fernandez allegedly oversaw it all from BSS.
The illicit funds, totaling $1,562,364 to BSS and $183,600 to ETC – a combined loss of $1,745,964 to Company-1 – weren’t stashed away. The indictment details a pattern of personal spending: credit card bills, restaurant meals, grocery runs, pool supplies, and straight cash withdrawals. The defendants allegedly treated Company-1’s diversity budget like a personal slush fund.
Fernandez-Adelugba and Wilkison are slated to appear in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles this afternoon. George Albert Fernandez is currently out of state but is expected to be taken into custody shortly. Each charge of mail fraud and wire fraud carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. If convicted on all counts, Fernandez-Adelugba faces over 300 years behind bars.
The FBI spearheaded the investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section. It’s important to remember that an indictment contains allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case serves as a stark reminder that even programs designed to promote inclusivity can be exploited for personal gain.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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