Mother and son plead guilty in fraud scheme of nearly $3.5 million
A mother and son pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraud after being caught illegally writing checks from their employer's account.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A mother and son pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraud after being caught illegally writing checks from their employer’s account.
75-year-old Eva Rebecca Wells and 47-year-old Billy Lee Wells, Jr., both of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud a financial institution. They face up to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. The son also pleaded to an additional charge of making and subscribing a false return, which carries a maximum of three years followed by one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine.
According to court documents, Eva Wells was the Office Manager for Mid-Georgia Sales and was responsible for its finances, including issuing weekly payroll and making other payments on behalf of the business. Her son was also employed at Mid-Georgia Sales, working in IT and sales.
In December of 2008, Eva Wells began writing unauthorized checks to herself and her son from the company’s general operating fund, as opposed to the account used for payroll. When the theft was discovered, a full accounting was conducted.
Between December 31, 2008 and May 10, 2019, Eva Wells wrote a total of $3,404,772.22 in unauthorized checks to Billy Lee Wells, Jr., which were either cashed or deposited in his bank account.
In addition to the checks made to Billy Lee Wells, Jr., Eva Wells also wrote unauthorized checks to herself, which she cashed or deposited into her bank account.
