Oakland Feds: Paralegal Settled Lawsuits, Then Swiped Settlement Proceeds Out From Under Unwitting Law Firm Employer, Clients

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Oakland, California):

• Ana Lissa Reyes, of San Lorenzo, Calif., was arraigned [] on an information charging her with multiple counts of mail fraud and tax evasion, United States Attorney Melinda Haag and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Jose M. Martinez announced.
  
  According to the information, Reyes is alleged to have worked as a secretary, office manager and paralegal for a Bay Area personal injury law firm.
  
  From about 2006 through June 2011, Reyes, without authorization, settled claims without the knowledge of the law firm or its clients and stole the settlement proceeds.
  
  It is also alleged that Reyes engaged clients without the law firm’s knowledge and stole client retainer fee payments. To carry out the scheme to defraud, Reyes created a bogus company to correspond with clients without the law firm’s knowledge and to defraud the clients into believing their cases were ongoing.

For the U.S. Attorney press release, see Paralegal Charged In Scheme To Defraud Bay Area Law Firm And Its Clients.

For the formal charges, see U.S. v. Reyes.