A Plum woman was sentenced to two years in a federal prison for embezzling $195,000 from a Murrysville family business.
Victoria Mazur, 54, was ordered to spend three years on probation after the prison term on a wire fraud charge. She pleaded guilty in November 2019.
Mazur worked as the controller at Gateway Packaging Corp. between December 2012 and December 2017. During that time, prosecutors said she took the money by issuing 189 fraudulent credit card refunds. The company is now out of business as a result of the thefts, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman.
Prosecutors said Mazur concealed the missing money by creating false financial statements.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors called Mazur’s conduct “alarming and an enormous betrayal to the victim.”
“Due to pure greed, the defendant left a trail of financial and emotional destruction,” prosecutors said in the memorandum. “In short, this was not a one-time mistake or aberrant behavior. The defendant executed a long-time scheme to steal, and her only concern was herself and her desire to live above her means.”
Victim impact statements included in the memorandum detailed the financial and emotional impact of the thefts on the owner, his wife and employees. The company’s client list was sold to a competitor and 25 employees had to find other jobs, according to the statements. Prosecutors asked for a firm sentence.
Mazur was ordered to pay full restitution. She had been free on bond since her August 2019 arrest.
