Twice-Convicted Accountant Charged: Embezzling More Than $1.1M From Employer

Charlotte -- A federal grand jury in Charlotte has indicted Mandy Deann Urban, 47, formerly of Charlotte, with wire fraud, for allegedly embezzling more than $1.1 million from her employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney King is joined in making the September 20, 2023, announcement by Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

According to allegations in the indictment, from January 2019 to June 2022, Urban was employed as a senior staff accountant for a Charlotte-based company. In that capacity, Urban was responsible for maintaining the company’s general ledger, preparing financial statements, and reconciling the company’s accounts payable receivable and bank statements. The indictment alleges that Urban executed a scheme to defraud her employer by misusing her access to make multiple transfers from the company’s bank accounts to accounts under Urban’s control. Urban also allegedly falsified the company’s books and records to conceal the scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Urban made more than 245 fraudulent transfers from the accounts of the company totaling $1,115,344.73.

According to allegations in the indictment, Urban used the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, including tens of thousands of dollars for mortgage, car, education, and vacation expenses, and to buy cryptocurrency. Additionally, it is alleged that Urban transferred significant amounts of embezzled funds to family members.

The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Court records show that Urban is currently in custody in Florida, serving a prison sentence for defrauding a previous employer of more than $283,000, and using the embezzled money to pay for court-ordered restitution for a prior embezzlement.

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.