Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Dallas-area sisters indicted in conspiracy to defraud one of their employers

By Pegasus News wire

A federal grand jury in Dallas has returned an indictment charging Janie Heggins of Desoto and her sister Paulette Heggins-Carter of Grand Prairie with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and six counts of mail fraud in relation to a scheme to defraud Janie Heggins’ former employer, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas.

In a separate indictment, Heggins’ former colleague, defendant Celina Sanders of Forth Worth, is also charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud in relation to a scheme to defraud her former employer.

All three have made their initial appearances. Janie Heggins and Paulette Heggins-Carter are scheduled for arraignment before U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor on June 17. Sanders has been arraigned and her trial is set for August 11, before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade.

Both Janie Heggins, 55, and Celina Sanders, 40, were employed by ART Holdings, Inc., a Dallas-based corporation that owned several subsidiary companies including Calpian Residual Partners, L.P., ART Merchant Acquiring Inc., and others. Defendant Paulette Heggins-Carter, 38, worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The indictments allege that from November 2001 through June 2007, Janie Heggins and Paulette Heggins-Carter conspired to defraud and obtain money from Heggins’ employer by issuing and mailing checks drawn on her employer’s bank accounts to credit card accounts, mortgage companies, telephone companies, and other creditors and companies affiliated with Heggins and Heggins-Carter, including a government Citibank credit card issued to Heggins-Carter. In addition, Heggins issued checks drawn on her employer’s bank accounts made payable to herself and to Gold Rush Inc., a business she jointly owned with Heggins-Carter.

The indictment further alleges that Heggins altered accounting records, invoices, and bank records to falsely reflect that these checks were legitimate payments to vendors or customers. Heggins and Heggins-Carter obtained approximately $469,000 through their fraud.

In the other indictment, it is alleged that from December 2002 through December 2006, Celina Sanders conspired with a co-worker at ART Holdings to defraud their employer by issuing and mailing checks drawn on their employer’s accounts made payable to credit card accounts and other creditors affiliated with Sanders’ co-worker. Checks were also issued directly payable to Sanders’ co-worker and to Sanders’ spouse. The indictment alleges that Sanders and others altered and created accounting records, invoices and bank records to falsely reflect that these checks were legitimate payments to their employer’s customers. Sanders caused the fraudulent transfer of more than $283,000 in Checktronic funds through checks issued to her spouse, her co-worker and her co-worker’s creditors.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. Each conspiracy conviction carries a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each mail fraud conviction carries a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution could be ordered.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the excellent investigative work of the U.S. Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller is prosecuting the case.

Source: Department of Justice

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