Fresno Woman Indicted for Embezzling More Than $580,000 from Employer

FRESNO, CA—Shelley Corkins, aka Shelley Kimbrell, 37, of Fresno, was charged today by a federal grand jury in a 44-count indictment for embezzling money from the law firm that formerly employed her, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to the indictment, Corkins formerly was employed by a Fresno-based law firm as a bookkeeper and accounting department supervisor. Between January 2008 and May 2012, Corkins abused her access and authority to manage the law firm’s finances and embezzled the law firm’s money for her own personal use. Corkins used her company credit card to make personal purchases at various retail outlets, including clothing and toy stores, electronically transferred funds from the law firm’s bank accounts to her own, and embezzled the law firm’s petty cash. Altogether, Corkins embezzled more than $580,000 of the law firm’s money.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baker is prosecuting the case.

The maximum statutory penalty for each of the 44 counts of wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, if convicted, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory sentencing factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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