A woman who worked as a temp for the state Department of Community Health is headed to prison for seven years after pleading guilty to swindling the state and two other employers of $90,000.
In her tenure at DCH, Tina Lewis handled travel reimbursements and wire transfers for the agency’s employees. But instead of delivering the checks or wire transfers to the employees, she would deposit them in her own checking account, prosecutors said.
Through this process, she stole nearly $40,000 from DCH, Attorney General Sam Olens’ office said.
On Tuesday, Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of racketeering and one count of theft by taking in an elaborate scheme involving identity theft and fraud, Olens’ office said.
Prosecutors had alleged that Lewis worked for various “temp agencies” between 2008 and 2012 and was responsible for or had access to money in those businesses where she was assigned.
While applying for a permanent job at DCH in 2012, staff uncovered evidence that Lewis’ application contained discrepancies, prompting an internal investigation.
The investigation revealed that Lewis fabricated court documents, school credentials, personal identity data and other information in order to conceal her past identities, including felony convictions in Texas, Oklahoma and Georgia. Investigators also determined that she stole nearly $40,000 from DCH.
Further investigation led to Lewis being charged with stealing about $48,000 from her previous employer, Gemini Trucking, from 2008 to 2009. Additionally, she was charged with stealing from Universal Alloy, the company that hired her after she was terminated at DCH.
The indictment alleged that Lewis would intercept checks written to her employer or to other persons and deposit them into her own checking account.
In addition to serving seven years in prison, Lewis will spend 28 years on probation and will be required to pay $90,000 in restitution.
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