In a legal pursuit that may restore some balance to the books, Angela Fae Brown, 53, of Olivehurst, has entered a guilty plea in connection to a white-collar crime spree that siphoned off over $900,000 from her Richmond-based employer, as Contra Costa District Attorney's Office reports. Brown, who orchestrated an embezzlement operation between September 2017 and November 2022, has agreed to the restitution of that staggering amount.
While acting as the bookkeeper of Viking Pavers, Brown cleverly exploited the company's financial processes to redirect hefty sums into her coffers. Further details from a Hoodline report illustrate how Brown, impersonating the company's owner, slyly diverted funds using a fake online payment account setup that slipped under the radar for years. Despite her arrest and initial bail set at $2 million, the latest court developments have led to a different sort of accounting.
This round of financial reckoning has Brown facing a suspended 10-year prison sentence brimming with conditions. The plea from June 14th dictates that she must seek and maintain employment as part of her three-year probation period to repay the embezzled funds. Her accumulated assets during the crime period will be sold off to contribute to the restitution, with precisely $907,087.00 earmarked for the paver company victim, and $61,860.10 slated for the Franchise Tax Board of California, the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office disclosed.
The legal proceedings against Brown mark a considerable victory against white-collar crime. District Attorney Diana Becton highlighted the importance of this case, stating, "When seeking justice for victims of white-collar crimes, it’s important to find effective ways to make a victim’s financial loss whole again." She added that this deal "holds the defendant accountable for the offenses and is structured for repayment of stolen funds," as per the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office. Any violations of the plea agreement could find Brown imprisoned for the remaining term of her sentence, thereby bringing the books to balance in more than one sense.
