A woman pleaded guilty Wednesday and was sentenced to nearly a year in jail for embezzling about $265,000 from a Laguna Beach business where she worked as a bookkeeper and office manager.
Nhora Johanna Tellez, 38, of Costa Mesa was sentenced to 364 days in jail after pleading guilty to four counts of grand theft and admitting sentencing enhancement allegations of white-collar crime between $100,000 and $500,000 and property damage exceeding $200,000.
She was given credit for 176 days in custody and was ordered to pay $265,000 in restitution, defense attorney Michael Guisti said.
Tellez changed online login passwords and switched electronic notifications of the unspecified business to her email and then embezzled $265,390 from her employer, Laguna Beach police Detective Bryan Hotchkiss said. She used the money to buy plane tickets, Disney passes and a Louis Vuitton designer bag, among other purchases, and to pay for veterinarian services, Hotchkiss said.
The embezzlement dates back to July 2012 and continued through the end of 2013, according to court records.