Indy woman sentenced to 18 months for embezzling nearly $1M from employer
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis woman was sentenced to spend over a year behind bars for embezzling nearly $1 million from her former employer, said the U.S Attorney’s Office Southern District of Indiana in a release Wednesday.
Yolanda Brooks, 52, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
Brooks worked as a medical supervisor from Dec. 16, 2005, until July 2, 2020, at a company that processed medical insurance claims on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance companies, court documents say.
Brooks’ was responsible for processing medical care claims to be paid by Medicaid and other medical insurance carriers. She had access to checks that were to be processed as refunds or reimbursements to her employers’ clients.
In March and July 2018, Brooks opened two personal accounts at Key Bank in her maiden name, Yolanda Mohid. According to court documents, the address listed for both accounts was Brook’s residence in Indianapolis. Other than the introductory title of “Yolanda Mohid” on each account, the account names were similar to the names of clients.
Between March 22, 2018, and July 23, 2021, Brooks took 486 checks mailed to her employer for $920,148.51 and deposited them into her two personal bank accounts. She falsely told the bank she was authorized to negotiate the checks and deposit them into her accounts.
Brooks used the stolen money for shopping at Victoria’s Secret, casino gambling, and luxury vacations.
A judge ordered Brooks to serve three years probation following her release and pay $920,148.51 in restitution.
“Nearly five hundred times, this defendant abused her position of trust to steal nearly a million dollars intended to pay people’s healthcare costs,” said U.S. Attorney, Zachary A. Myers, in a release. “Our office is committed to working with our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to hold fraudsters accountable. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here should serve as a warning to any who might consider engaging in this sort of scheme: you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will potentially go to federal prison.”
“Solving complex financial crimes such as this is one of the many things we do as postal inspectors. I commend the investigative efforts of our postal inspectors in this case, as well as our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, in unraveling this elaborate scheme and holding Ms. Brooks responsible for her crime,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge for the Detroit Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, in a release.
