In a substantial case of financial deceit, a Hughson woman has been accused of a multi-layered fraud totaling $1.4 million, stemming from her dealings with non-profit organizations and trusts. According to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office, Lana Casey, 62, faces a staggering 79 counts which include grand theft, money laundering, and tax evasion.
The indictment was delivered following a three-day grand jury evaluation of evidence, leading to Casey's arrest by the county's District Attorney's investigators. She is now lodged in custody, her bail set at a steep $1.455 million. The indictment specifies that any bail posted must be proven to stem from legitimate sources, a measure that reflects the serious nature of the allegations against her. Casey reportedly swindled approximately $214,000 from non-profit groups affiliated with the Oak Valley District Hospital and stands accused of writing illicit checks to herself and to others, including payments to a mortgage company and a pool fencing seller.
Further, the grand jury heard allegations of Casey's involvement in embezzling funds from trusts, specifically those associated with Carolyn W. Reynolds. An exhaustive forensic audit by the California Franchise Tax Board unearthed $1.453 million in unreported income between 2018 and 2021, around $1.211 million of which is believed to be embezzled funds. The complexity of the case was underlined by the investigation which drew on the expertise of multiple agencies. The case was probed by the collaboration between the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation, @oakdalepolice_ca, the tax board, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation.
The charges against Casey also involve allegations of her filtering the stolen cash through financial institutions, a process that constitutes money laundering across both state and federal law, which requires taxes to be paid on all income, irrespective of its legality. Amid the legal proceedings, the District Attorney's office directed all media inquiries to their official contact at [email protected].
