Woman pleads guilty to stealing from employer

Woman pleads guilty to stealing from employer
New Mexico Business Weekly

A former employee of a Los Alamos physical therapy practice pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement and tax evasion, according to a report from the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department.

Rebecca Serrano, also known as Becky Serrano, of Española, was ordered to pay nearly $165,000 in restitution and back taxes by State District Judge Michael Vigil. Serrano is a former employee of Jemez Physical Therapy. She pled guilty to stealing $160,000 to support her gambling addiction, according to Taxation and Revenue officials.

Judge Vigil placed her on five years’ probation and ordered her to stay away from casinos or gaming establishments, and to seek counseling for gambling addiction.

A Santa Fe grand jury indicted Serrano in March on four counts of embezzlement and two counts of tax evasion for stealing $160,000 from Jemez Physical Therapy while she worked there from 2005 through 2008.

Taxation and Revenue’s tax fraud investigations division worked with the Los Alamos Police Department on the case. Serrano stole the funds using fraudulent check schemes through the company’s bank accounts. She reportedly issued herself unauthorized employee advances and created checks to be issued to health insurance companies and other valid vendors, which were all converted to Serrano’s benefit upon deposit into her bank account, according to Taxation and Revenue officials.