Manteca Man Accused Of Bilking Stockton Company For Nearly $1 Million
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Manteca man was arrested Wednesday and accused of embezzling nearly $1 million from a Stockton company where he was in charge of accounts.
Chris Barna, 33, faces a 20-count federal indictment charging him with stealing more than $950,000 from M & C Association Management Services Inc., U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. The investigation was handled by the FBI.
Barna was the controller for M & C, which provides property management and developer services to community associations in Northern California. Barna was responsible for the company's account and collections departments.
According to the indictment, from April 2008 through May 2011, Barna misappropriated approximately 342 checks that were payable to M & C or its parent company from third parties, or payable to third parties from M & C.
Barna allegedly forged false endorsements and deposited the checks into various bank accounts he controlled at Wells Fargo Bank. He then manipulated financial records at M & C to conceal the fraud. Barna used proceeds of the fraud to pay for a series of his own personal obligations and expenses.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman released Barna on a $200,000 bond. He was ordered to appear for a status conference on Jan. 14.
If convicted, Barna faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count.
