Man and woman loved fast cars, so they embezzled $1 million from her company, feds say

A bookkeeper and her partner-in-crime were arrested Friday for allegedly embezzling more than $1 million from a Fresno business so they could buy fast cars, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

They were arrested one day after a federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment against Brandi Marshall, 41, and Daniel Barrios Jr., 37, charging them with conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.

The name of the business is not being made public because its status as the victim, U.S. Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Lauren Harwood said.

Marshall was the company’s bookkeeper between October 2014 and March 2016 and was responsible for receiving and depositing checks from customers who paid their invoices, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

She and Barrios misappropriated more than 100 checks and fraudulently deposited them into Barrios’s personal bank account, prosecutors said.

The pair used the money for purchases, including $35,000 to buy and accessorize a 2016 Ford Mustang GT, and more than $25,000 for a 2012 Dodge Challenger.

Marshall created fictitious entries into the company’s accounting system to conceal the embezzlement, officials said.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

If convicted, Marshall and Barrios face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each of the wire fraud and bank fraud charges, and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to launder money.

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Man and woman loved fast cars, so they embezzled $1 million from her company, feds say."