Former Sandia National Labs employee Theresa Romero was sentenced to three years of probation for her conviction on a theft of government property charge.
Romero, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was ordered to pay $32,542.37 in restitution to the National Nuclear Security Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy that was the victim of Romero’s criminal conduct.
According to court documents, Romero pled guilty on July 1, 2015, to a felony information charging her with theft of government property. The information charged Romero with embezzling money from the Department of Energy between Sept. 2010 and Aug. 2011.
At the time, Romero was employed as an Administrative Assistant at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). In entering her guilty plea, Romero admitted that from Sept. 30, 2010 through Aug. 8, 2011, she used a procurement card that was issued to her as an employee of SNL to make unauthorized purchases for herself.
This case was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General with assistance from SNL’s corporate investigations office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley prosecuted the case.
Romero’s sentence marks the end of a lengthy investigation into her misdeeds. The exact extent of her embezzlement remains unclear, but it is evident that her actions were serious enough to warrant a felony conviction.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in government contracting. It also highlights the need for robust internal controls and oversight to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Related Federal Cases
- James Ratcliffe, Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Property, Virginia 2015 · Virginia
- John C. Beale, Theft of Government Property, District of Columbia 2013 · District of Columbia
- John Montano, Stealing Government Property, California 2017 · Washington
- Letitia James, Identity Theft, New York 2023 · Washington
- Alonzo Gallegos, Destruction of Mail, New Mexico 2016 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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