Melissia Gathreaux faces six counts of wire fraud, accused by the DOJ of stealing $894,274.26 from a client’s accounts.
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Attorney Greg Kehoe from the Middle District of Florida announced that an accountant was charged by federal indictment with six counts of wire fraud.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the embezzlement indictments to Melissia Gathreaux. If convicted, officials say she could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also aims to get the woman to forfeit $894,274.26, the proceeds which reportedly stem from the charged criminal conduct.
The indictment states that Gauthreaux was the founder, president and managing member of Accounting Resources and Management Services, LLC., a company based out of Palm Harbor. The DOJ is alleging that from 2017 through 2021, Gauthreaux used her business to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from one of her clients, who they also say is a public figure.
According to the DOJ, Gauthreaux had signatory authority on her client’s bank accounts and took the money without consent or knowledge of her client.
Kehoe’s office says an indictment is a formal charge, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.