Jairo Tomas Santos, a 42-year-old man from San Mateo, is accused of embezzling more than $1.1 million from a San Francisco law firm.

On August 4, 2023, Santos was arrested, and just three days later, he appeared in federal court to face the charges brought against him, according to the Department of Justice. Santos is charged with bank fraud after a grand jury indictment on July 25, 2023. As the office manager of the victim law firm, Santos was allegedly in a prime position to carry out his scheme that began as far back as March 2016.

The indictment reveals that Santos fraudulently signed checks using the firm's senior partner signature and deposited them into his personal checking account at Wells Fargo Bank. It is alleged that Santos deposited approximately 806 unauthorized checks for a staggering total of about $1,191,683, and further concealed his actions by making and deleting entries in the firm's general ledger.

Now facing three counts of bank fraud, Santos' trial is scheduled to commence on August 22, 2023. If convicted, he could face severe penalties, including up to 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and possible restitution. The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christiaan Highsmith leading the effort and support from Elizabeth Kim.