Fresno man pleads guilty in $1.5M employer embezzlement

Gabriel Ruiz De Chavez, 46, of Fresno, pled guilty Wednesday to a single count of wire fraud for stealing more than $1.49 million from his employer, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from 2004 to 2020, Ruiz De Chavez worked as an operations manager for an employer identified only as “Company 1.” A LinkedIn profile indicates he worked for a local engineering company.

Between 2012 and 2019, Ruiz De Chavez used his position to generate fake invoices purportedly created by genuine vendors for goods and services. He presented these fake invoices and corresponding checks made out to the real vendors to his employer for signature, and would then deposit the checks into his own personal bank account.

Ruiz De Chavez used the funds to pay for personal expenses including credit card payments, cash withdrawals, mortgage payments, vacations and car loans. He was able to continue the scheme without notice because of the trusted position he held at the company, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office. Between 2012 and 2019, Ruiz De Chavez created over 600 fake invoices and checks, causing at least $1,491,000 to be transferred into his account from his employer.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

Ruiz De Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 6. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.