WASHINGTON – In a case of blatant financial betrayal, Tamara Kukla, a 47-year-old former Director of Membership for a Washington-based non-profit organization, has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for embezzling nearly $250,000 from her employer.
U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, announced Kukla’s sentence, which was handed down by the Honorable James E. Boasberg on April 4, 2017. Following her prison term, Kukla will be placed on three years of supervised release.
As part of her punishment, Kukla must also pay $248,755 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. This staggering sum represents the extent of Kukla’s scheme to defraud her employer.
According to the government’s evidence, Kukla used her corporate credit card for both legitimate and personal purchases, providing false descriptions of the personal purchases as work-related expenses. These unauthorized purchases and expenses included personal expenses related to travel, transportation, hotel lodgings, retail purchases, meals, food, and entertainment.
Kukla also devised a scheme whereby she caused her employer to pay for thousands of dollars in expenses for personal services from two different private companies.
The National Capitol Region Fraud Task Force of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Ebert commended the work of those who investigated the case, as well as those who worked on the matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Tamara Kukla’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of financial malfeasance. Her actions not only harmed her employer but also undermined the trust of her community.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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