Former Ridgecrest Office Manager Charged with Embezzling

FRESNO—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that a 14-count indictment was unsealed today following the arrest of Sherrill V. Hanson, 60, of Big Pine in Inyo County, formerly of Ridgecrest. She was charged by a federal grand jury with wire fraud after embezzling from her employer.

According to the indictment, Hanson worked as the office manager and accountant for a company in Ridgecrest from November 1999 until January 2008 when she was terminated from the company. The indictment alleges that Hanson embezzled the company’s funds by using the company’s bank cards to withdraw cash, endorsing the company’s checks, paying herself in excess of her legitimate compensation, as well as by making several payments to various credit cards, all for her own personal use.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hanson faces a maximum statutory penalty for of 20 years of in prison, a $250,000 fine, a period of supervised release, forfeiture, and restitution. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.