A Maryland woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for embezzling more than US$1.2 million (approximately R6.3 million) from the real estate company and non-profit organization where she worked.
Jennifer Tinker, 42, used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle. She bought designer handbags, stayed in five-star hotels and spent a fortune at a Taylor Swift concert.
The scheme began in 2020 and the woman was sentenced last Monday (October 11). Jennifer used her job running a small real estate company to divert funds from the company into her own bank account.
The woman legitimized over 90 bank transfers using fake recipients. With the embezzled money, Jennifer bought five cars, luxury goods from Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga, vacationed in a penthouse at Disney’s Caribbean Beach, and spent $151,000 on Amazon purchases.
Jennifer, who is proud of her luxurious lifestyle, stayed in a suite in Las Vegas for five days. While vacationing in “Sin City,” she spent $5,000 to attend a show on Taylor Swift’s Ella Tour. The woman also attended a performance by singer Luke Bryan in the city.
In November 2023, Jennifer’s boss discovered the deviation and Jennifer was fired.
Six months later, she was hired as an accountant for a nonprofit organization, where she committed another crime and embezzled more than $100,000. She used some of the embezzled money to travel to Tennessee to attend the Bonnaroo Music Festival, spending more than $3,000 on purchases there alone.
“For five years, her employer’s bank account was Jennifer Tinker’s personal ATM,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in court documents.
Jennifer was arrested in February of this year and confessed to the crime. She was prosecuted and sentenced to six years in prison, in addition to having to repay more than US$1.2 million.
“There was no drug abuse or addiction that fueled her extravagance. There was no unfunded medical treatment that put Jennifer Tinker in severe financial difficulty. There was only Jennifer Tinker’s own greed, ability to deceive, and desire to live beyond her means,” attorneys for the U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote.
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