BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced Wednesday that a Niagara Falls woman pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
The defendant, 47-year-old Jennifer Campbell, was the office manager and Chief Compliance Officer at a Buffalo-based investment advisory firm.
Campbell, who had access to client accounts, stole over $500,000 from clients and the firm, from Nov. 2018 to May 2021.
Campbell stole money by primarily writing checks from client accounts or by forging the signatures of the client or a principal at the firm. She then deposited these checks into her own personal account.
Campbell took numerous steps to conceal her theft, including sending one of her victims a falsified account statement stating that the victim had a balance of $148,000 when it really only had $93.
Campbell also took funds from a client and transferred them into the bank account of one of her earlier victims. She gained access to the email accounts of the firm's principals and diverted emails from anti-money laundering and financial crimes personnel at the firm's broker-dealer.
The personnel had begun to raise questions about Campbell's dealings, and in an effort to put off the inquiries, Campbell sent emails from firm principals containing false statements and documentation which made her transactions appear legitimate.
Campbell's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2023. The wire fraud charge against Campbell will carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
