A Clovis woman faces federal charges for allegedly running a $4 million fraud scheme.
Federal prosecutors allege Kelly Lynn Brown, 47, used her employer’s company credit card to make more than $4 million in unauthorized personal purchases.
Driving the news: Brown worked as a bookkeeper at a Fresno business specializing in custom countertops and commercial hardwood products from November 2020 to October 2024. She had access to personally identifiable information of the business’s employees.
Brown recommended that the owner of the company obtain an American Express credit card for business expenses in January 2021. While the owner was not interested in doing so, Brown gave the owner two American Express credit cards two weeks later. One card was under the owner’s personal name and the other was under the business name.
Later in 2021, Brown obtained a credit card in her own name under the owner’s American Express account without the owner’s authorization.
She used the credit card for unauthorized personal expenses, such as luxury retail purchases, travel, health treatments, beauty treatments and down payments on a 2022 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500.
Brown also started an online apparel store named Western Edge Boutique in August 2022 and made clothing and apparel-related purchases on the credit card around that time.
In order to pay off the card, Brown used the business’s bank account to conceal the fraud scheme. The owner discovered the scheme in late 2024 and fired Brown.
What we’re watching: Brown faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release if she is convicted.
Brown was arrested last Friday.