Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, recently experienced the uncovering of nearly $10 million in falsely invoiced funds by a former manager, Ms. Kayricka Wortham and six additional individuals, some of whom were also Amazon employees. Ms. Wortham, along with her partner Brittany Hudson and multiple other Amazon employees developed a scheme to invoice Amazon for services and products not provided in order to transfer funds of almost $10 million to themselves.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern Department of Georgia press release, Wortham worked as the Operations Manager for an Amazon warehouse in Georgia from August 2020 to March 2022. Ms. Wortham had employees unknowingly add fake vendor information into the purchasing system and then Ms. Wortham approved the fake vendors in order to allow invoices to be submitted. Ms. Wortham and her co-conspirators submitted fictitious invoices to Amazon, and this caused Amazon to transfer $9.4 million to accounts controlled by these individuals.
Among the co-conspirators are employees in multiple levels and departments of the company, including but not limited to: Demetrius Hines, who worked in loss prevention, and Laquettia Blanchard who was a senior human resources assistant. Even following the initial charges Ms. Wortham and her partners committed new criminal conduct resulting in the cancellation of their bail bonds. While attempting to open a hookah lounge in Atlanta, Georgia with the help of CRU Franchising Company in January 2023. Ms. Wortham and Ms. Hudson lied about the Amazon fraud charges against them, stating the charges were dismissed although they had not been dismissed.
Ms. Wortham pleaded guilty to the fraud charges on Nov. 30, 2022, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution to Amazon in the amount of $9,469,731.45.
Today, USA. (2023, July 6). Former Amazon employee sentenced to 16 years after stealing nearly $10 million. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/06/georgia-amazon-manager-sentenced-stealing-nearly-10-million/70387311007/