Wood County Woman Guilty Of Embezzling $1.8 Million From California Companies

TYLER, Texas – A 49-year-old woman from Hawkins, Texas, pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

Lina Su, also known as Lina Perkins, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering today before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.

According to information presented in court, in March 2017, Su made several unauthorized wire transfers from VIG Furniture bank accounts into an account she controlled at City National Bank in Sulphur Springs. In 2015 and 2016, she also made unauthorized transfers from Airport Van Rental and ACE Medical Transport bank accounts into her personal checking account. In addition, Su used funds from those companies’ accounts to make personal credit card payments, purchase land for herself, and pay contractors constructing her home in Wood County. Altogether, Su embezzled and transferred over $1.8 million dollars from the California companies she was working for during the time period. Su was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 13, 2017.

Under federal statutes, Su faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Tyler Office, the Vernon California Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Noble and Robert Wells with the assistance of the Financial Litigation Unit.