NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Williamsburg woman acknowledged in court Thursday that she stole $558,595.26 from her former employer.
Dana Morris, 42, worked for an elderly resident of Williamsburg as a housekeeper and personal assistant.
Between 2012 and 2014, Morris altered and forged 117 checks drawn on her employer’s personal checking account.
Morris deposited all of the checks into her personal checking account and spent the stolen money on over $445,000 in retail and entertainment items.
In March 2014, Morris, along with someone else, used $27,000 of the stolen money to purchase a new car.
She also falsely stated her income on her 2012 tax return, failing to report the majority of the stolen money. Morris evaded the assessment of personal income tax in 2013 and 2014 by failing to file tax returns and filing extensions in which she falsely stated she would owe no tax.
Morris was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 11 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on November 10, however, the parties agreed, subject to the approval of the District Court Judge, that her sentence will not exceed 37 months.
