FBI, IRS find company theft at Santa Ana company

Published 8:01 am, Wednesday, June 4, 2014

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The former controller of an Irvine company has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $3 million from his company to feed a gambling addiction.

In a plea agreement, 37-year-old Steven Hagstrom pleaded guilty Tuesday to one felony count of embezzlement. The defense attorney tells The Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/1kCuxPX ) that Hagstrom transferred money from Sentinel Offender Services' bank accounts to a "clearinghouse" account, then to his own personal accounts.

Hagstrom will be sentenced in September. Prosecutors say they will recommend between three and six years.

Court documents show Hagstrom embezzled $2.26 million in 2012 and another $1.07 million in the first four months of 2013. In April of 2013, the FBI and Internal Revenue Service discovered the possible theft and told the company about it.

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Information from: The Orange County Register, http://www.ocregister.com

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/FBI-IRS-find-company-theft-at-Santa-Ana-company-5527966.php