Former Cox Employees Charged with Embezzlement
Two Employees Allegedly Diverted Funds to Their Personal Bank Accounts
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 10, 2013 |
ATLANTA—Joysha Flucker has been arraigned on charges in an indictment that a federal grand jury returned on May 21, 2013, for allegedly stealing over $900,000 from Cox Communications.
“Those who shamelessly steal from their employer should expect to be held accountable,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Companies must be able to trust their employees, especially when those employees are entrusted with handling money. The charges against these defendants reflect that they violated the law as well as their employer’s confidence.”
Mark F. Giuliano, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, “The federal indictments of these two former Cox employees represent the FBI’s commitment to partner with and provide assistance to the corporate sector. Those individuals who engage in such widespread and high-dollar thefts run the very real risk of becoming targets in a federal investigation.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Joysha Flucker, 36, of Decatur, Georgia, and Sakia Allen, 38, of Jonesboro, Georgia, previously worked for Cox Communications, where they had access to the company’s electronic invoicing system that tracked the company’s payments to various third parties. Flucker and Allen manipulated the electronic invoicing system so that Cox Communications would issue duplicate payments to the third parties. However, the duplicate payments were directed into bank accounts under the control of the defendants. As a result of the defendants’ actions, Cox Communications suffered losses of at least $943,865.46.
Flucker was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard today on the charges and was detained. Allen previously entered a plea of guilty to one count of wire fraud on July 25, 2013, before United States District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr.
The indictment charges the defendants with multiple counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and the conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
The United States is also seeking the forfeiture of all funds derived from this scheme. The United States previously forfeited a house and luxury automobiles as proceeds of the alleged offense.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Sandy Springs Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mary F. Kruger and Thomas J. Krepp are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.Pressemails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.