COLUMBIA – Teresa Yarborough-Walker age 50, of Blythewood, pled guilty to Theft of Government Funds, United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today. Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the plea and will sentence Walker at a later date.
Walker
Evidence presented at the hearing established that Walker was the human resources supervisor for Genesis Health Care, Inc. Genesis is a non-profit health care center that offers medical services to poor, rural communities. Many Genesis patients are on Medicare and Medicaid.
Genesis was funded by the Health Resources Service Administration, an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services. The theft is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, § 641.
Walker embezzled from Genesis by creating fictitious employees and paying them a salary. She then diverted those salaries to herself. She modified the payroll software to prevent reports from going to management that would have revealed the scheme.
Walker stole approximately $416,257.00.
The maximum penalty faced by Walker is imprisonment for ten years with a potential fine up to $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
The theft is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, § 641.
Hopefully her employer has already implemented more effective controls to better safeguard taxpayer money.