Former Amazon Manager Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Stealing $9.4 Million
Kayricka Wortham, a former manager at Amazon.com, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of stealing over $9.4 million from the company. Along with six other individuals, Wortham was charged in connection with the theft in Georgia, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern Department of Georgia.
Wortham, 32, worked as an operations manager at an Amazon Warehouse in Georgia from August 2020 to March 2022. In her role, she supervised other workers and was responsible for approving new vendors and vendor invoices for the company. Taking advantage of her position, Wortham submitted over $10 million in invoices for fake vendors, resulting in Amazon unknowingly paying her and the other individuals involved $9.4 million.
The press release states that Wortham had her employees add the fake vendor information into the system, and once the information was entered, she approved the fake vendors, allowing them to submit invoices. Amazon then transferred millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds to bank accounts controlled by Wortham and her co-conspirators.
Officials revealed that Wortham collaborated with her partner Brittany Hudson, as well as Demetrius Hines and Laquettia Blanchard, who were employees at Amazon. Hudson, Hines, and Blanchard assisted Wortham in creating additional fake vendor accounts. Hines obtained stolen personal information from JaQuan Frazier, who allegedly purchased the information from Darrel J. Burgo.
The release further states that while Wortham and Hudson were on bond, they engaged in new criminal conduct that led to the cancellation of their bonds. In an attempt to open a hookah lounge in Atlanta, Georgia with the assistance of CRU Franchising Company in January 2023, they lied about the Amazon fraud charges against them, claiming that the charges had been dismissed. They even sent fraudulent court documents to CRU Franchising Company, which appeared to show the dismissal of the charges and contained forged signatures and seals.
Wortham pleaded guilty to the fraud charges on November 30, 2022, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She will also have to pay restitution to Amazon in the amount of $9,469,731.45. Additionally, Wortham is facing charges for defrauding CRU Franchising Company and forging the signature of a federal judge and seal of the Court.
Hines also pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on November 30, 2022. Blanchard pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on June 27, and Frazier pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. The sentencing for all three defendants will take place at a later date.
Furthermore, Hudson and James were indicted by a grand jury on June 20 for conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. Hudson was also charged with forging the signature of a federal judge and seal of the Court. Burgo was charged with conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
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