Former Amazon employee sentenced for stealing $500,000

Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A Denver woman was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison for stealing nearly $500,000 from her employer, according to federal prosecutors.

Tiffany Vo, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and to a scheme to defraud Amazon while she worked there, the Justice Department said in a release .

Justice Department documents show that between the summer of 2020 and June, 2022, Vo held a job with Amazon in which she administered virtual employee programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, she misappropriated nearly a half million dollars and used the money on personal items.

"Vo devised and participated in a scheme to fabricate invoices and expense reports to claim reimbursement for approximately $483,393.58 in purported corporate event expenditures that did not occur," the Justice Department said. "Vo spent the stolen funds on a variety of personal expenses including designer handbags and sunglasses, payments toward her condo, two vehicles, exercise equipment, and thousands of dollars of beauty products."

Vo was also ordered to pay restitution and sentenced to three years of supervised release.