A recent indictment has made waves in the aviation industry as the former finance director of McCreery Aviation finds herself accused of major mail fraud. Elizabeth Batten, 57, allegedly embezzled $1.2 million from her employer through a mail fraud scheme, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The indictment, which was returned on Wednesday, specifies Batten's role as finance director from 2019 to 2023, in which time she purportedly steered company funds to pay off her personal expenses, exploiting blank company checks that were meant for legitimate business dealings, these actions are now under federal scrutiny. Batten, a resident of Mission, has surrendered to authorities and made her initial court appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m. as reported in the Justice Department's press release.
McCreery Aviation, part of the Rio Grande Valley's bustling aviation sector, only came to learn of the alleged financial discrepancies when a vigilant employee noticed irregularities in the handling of company checks last year, this revelation inciting an internal probe that revealed the extent of the presumed fraud. Batten, who has now been charged with 10 counts of mail fraud, could face serious repercussions, including up to 20 years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines if found guilty.
The investigation, conducted by the FBI, has been vital in bringing the case to light, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric D. Flores, the lead prosecutor on the case, has made clear the gravity of such offenses against the integrity of the financial practices within corporate establishments. Details of the case continue to emerge as the indictment has prompted a reevaluation of internal control measures within McCreery Aviation and other companies taking note to prevent similar financial subterfuges, according to the same press release.
