A woman stole more than $1 million from a Chicago company she worked for, according to the feds.
Margarita Shabazz, 39, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of bank fraud, according to FBI spokesman Garrett Croon.
Shabazz was the controller and production manager of a Chicago-based company that produces TV commercials and fashion photography for clients, according to the feds.
Between Dec. 23, 2011, and June 10, 2016, Shabazz stole $1,600,000 from the company’s bank accounts, according to the feds. She wrote checks payable to companies owned by her and her husband, but falsely recorded them in the company’s books and records as payable to vendors of the company.
The scheme was discovered in June 2016 after Shabazz was fired in late May of the same year, according to the feds. The company’s owner then outsourced the accounting to an independent firm.
While reviewing the company’s records, the firm discovered checks issued to two companies, one of which was a combination of Shabazz’s two children’s names, according to the feds.
Shabazz was arrested in the Central District of California on Oct. 4. 2016, according to the feds. She is scheduled to be sentenced in February.
