(KRON) – Jairo Tomas Santos pleaded guilty in San Francisco federal court to bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp on Monday.
Santos, 42, admitted to embezzling more than $1.1 million from his employer, a San Francisco-based law firm. Santos worked as the office manager for the law firm.
As a part of the scheme, Santos obtained checks from the law firm, filled out the payee line of those checks, addressed them to “Jairo Santos,” and signed each check with the signature of the law firm’s senior partner despite the fact that Santos was not authorized to do so. Santos then deposited these checks into his personal checking accounts at Wells Fargo Bank.
According to his plea agreement, Santos began embezzling from his employer in March 2016 and continued through February 2023.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Santos admitted to depositing 806 fraudulent and unauthorized checks from the law firm, which amounted to approximately $1,191,683.
A federal grand jury indicted Santos on July 25, charging him with three counts of bank fraud. Under the plea agreement, Santos pleaded guilty to one count. If Santos complies with the plea agreement, the remaining counts of bank fraud will be dismissed at sentencing.
Santos is currently free on bond. Santos’ sentencing hearing is set for March 12, 2024.
