RICHMOND, VA—Faye C. Morgan, 64, of Richmond, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to use of an unauthorized access device.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Roderick C. Young.

Morgan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years for this offense when she is sentenced on June 29, 2015. The maximum statutory penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

In a statement of facts filed with her plea agreement, Faye Morgan admitted that she was employed for over a decade as the bookkeeper for Rawlings Wilson and Associates, an architectural firm located in Richmond, Virginia. In that capacity, Morgan opened a credit card in the name of Rawlings Wilson without the firm’s knowledge or authorization. From November 2003 through March 2013, Morgan charged over $159,000 to this credit card, which she used to purchase VISA and American Express gift cards in varying amounts. Morgan paid off her charges to the credit card by making unauthorized electronic transfers from the firm’s operating accounts. None of these payments were reflected in the firm’s accounting records. Instead, Morgan falsified the firm’s accounting records by recording payments to the Internal Revenue Service that never actually occurred. Besides the electronic payments to the credit card, Morgan also made numerous unauthorized electronic transfers from the firm’s operating account to pay other personal expenses, including her power, cable and phone bills. In total, Morgan embezzled $168,009.96 from Rawlings Wilson and Associates, which ceased operating in January 2013 due to a lack of income.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Lee Martin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:15cr30.