Headlines

Former Employee Accused in $2.8M Theft from Jewelry Company

He was indicted in New York for alleged larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2022

INSTORE Staff

A former bookkeeper for New York City-based jewelry company Julie Vos is accused of stealing more than $2.8 million dollars from the firm.

He’s alleged to have committed the crimes between September 2014 and April 2021, according to a press release from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr.

Francisco Lopez, 36, is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with first- degree grand larceny and first-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

“Francisco Lopez is charged with capitalizing on his insider access to steal nearly $3 million from a New York City-based business over seven years,” Bragg said.

“I thank my Office’s talented investigators and prosecutors who followed the money, uncovering thousands of fraudulent transfers, to secure this indictment. We are dedicated to protecting businesses across our City from all varieties of theft, including fraud from the inside.”

More from the release:

In May 2021, the Manhattan D.A.’s Office’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau (“MECB”) began investigating financial irregularities in the Julie Vos accounts LOPEZ oversaw as the company’s bookkeeper. As alleged, between 2014 and 2021, LOPEZ regularly but discreetly transferred sums of money from the Julie Vos business accounts to his own personal bank and credit card accounts, while hiding those transfers in corporate expense tallies. LOPEZ used the stolen funds to pay for leisure and luxury items, including travel, jewelry, clothing, and high-end automobiles. LOPEZ’S systematic theft was uncovered in April 2021, when American Express asked Julie Vos about numerous transactions they observed from the Vos company accounts to pay for charges on LOPEZ’S personal American Express card. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office’s investigation ultimately revealed that, over the course of thousands of transfers, LOPEZ stole more than $2.8 million dollars from Julie Vos.

Assistant D.A. Aaron Ginandes is handling the prosecution of the case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Julio Cuevas (Deputy Bureau Chief of MECB), Julieta V. Lozano (Chief of MECB), Chris Conroy (Special Advisor to the Investigation Division), and Executive Assistant D.A. Susan Hoffinger (Chief of the Investigation Division). Senior Financial Investigator Samantha Drofiak and Paralegals Anna Bruckner and Clara Parkus provided analysis and assistance with the investigation. Discovery Analyst Pauline Davis assisted with discovery.

click to Comment(Comment)

Up Next

Salesman Robbed of $200,000 in Jewelry Outside Hotel in Florida

Don't Miss

$1M in Jewelry Stolen by Organized Retail Theft Ring; 2 Guilty Pleas Announced

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”