Hollister woman pleads guilty to federal wire fraud charges

A Hollister woman admitted in federal court Thursday that she embezzled more than $200,000 from an engineering firm in San Jose.

Briana Irene Roy pleaded guilty to wire fraud stemming from the scheme, federal prosecutors said.

Roy was working for the marketing division of the San Jose-based company and devised and implemented a scheme to use a company credit issued in the name of one of the company’s executives for her personal benefit.

She admitted that on approximately 80 separate occasions between March 2010 and February 2013, s he used the credit card to make charges to her personal PayPal account. She tried to conceal this but generating fake invoices and receipts for products and services in the name of another San Jose business. She was able to steal more than $247,000 by doing so.

The 38-year-old Roy was charged with one count of wire fraud in December. As part of her plea, she must pay restitution for the full amount of stolen funds.

She’s due for sentencing on Oct. 23. She could face up to 20 years in prison plus fines.