Embezzlement charges are a serious matter. Stealing from your employer and diverting funds into your own or even other accounts can leave you facing serious criminal penalties in California. If the amount you are accused of misappropriating is large enough or involves people and companies in other states or countries, it could also result in federal charges. Even the accusation of this type of crime can ruin your career and your reputation within the community, which is why you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side to respond immediately to these charges.
Former Tesla Employee Faces Heavy Jail Sentence
A former San Jose man was indicted by a grand jury in November 2018 on charges he was part of a $9.3 million embezzlement scheme while working for car manufacturer Tesla’s Global Supply Management group. The Silicon Valley Business Journal reports that the 32-year-old man joined Tesla in 2013 as a purchasing specialist, rising to the level of group manager of the Global Supply Management and Industrialization team in 2017. He is accused of hatching a plan over the course of 2016 and 2017 to divert funds owed by a Taiwan-based auto parts supplier to a different company located in Germany.
The man impersonated employees to direct funds from Hota Industrial Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Hota) to a different supplier, Schwabische Huttenwerke Automotive (SHW), whose relationship had previously been terminated. As part of the embezzlement scheme, the man is also accused of falsifying invoices and creating fraudulent accounts payable documents, which included bank account information and wire instructions.
As the result of the recent indictment, he now faces nine counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a $250,000 fine and up to a 20-year prison sentence. He also faces charges of identity theft, which carry additional fines, jail time, and other penalties. Authorities still have not said if employees of SHW were aware of the scheme or why the man allegedly funneled the money there. Additional charges will likely be filed against others, based on statements and other evidence that is uncovered.
Fraud and Embezzlement Charges Require a Strong Legal Defense
As the above case illustrates, being involved on any level of a fraud case or an embezzlement scheme could leave you facing a potentially lengthy jail sentence. An indictment is the result of months of investigations, in which state prosecutors and federal officials pore over every area of your life and all of your financial transactions. Even if the crime you are accused of is of a much smaller scale, you need a strong criminal defense attorney to defend your rights and reputation, while helping to minimize potential legal damages.
At the Jachimowicz Law Group, we have the experience you need in these types of complex situations. Contact our dedicated San Jose embezzlement attorneys by calling our office and request a free and confidential consultation to discuss the best course of action in your case.
Sources:
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2018/11/09/salil-parulekar-tesla-indicted-tsla.html
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/former-tesla-employee-charged-embezzlement-scheme-tesla
