Tulsa Woman Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud

A Tulsa woman entered a guilty plea Thursday to wire fraud and to signing a false tax return.

In a plea hearing, 44-year-old Kristiana Collins admitted to embezzling funds from her employer between 2008 and 2014.

A news release says while Collins was working, she secretly obtained two Visa cards for herself under the company’s account. The release says Collins made purchases for herself and used company money to pay the charges.

The plea agreement focused on a nearly $5,000 wire transfer in 2013 made from the company’s bank account to the credit card company, the news release says. It says Collins admitted some of the purchases on the card were fraudulent and that she agreed she signed her 2013 tax return knowing it didn’t disclose income she obtained through using the employer’s credit card.

“Embezzlement schemes like this cause serious financial consequences to local businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “And the damage often isn’t limited to financial injury. When a trusted employee steals from company coffers, it collaterally impacts the firm’s culture, morale and trust.”

Collins will be sentenced on January 7, 2019. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release for wire fraud as well as three years in prison and a one year supervised release for knowingly signing a false tax return.