U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced the sentencing of Erin Martin, a 53-year-old resident of Tonawanda, New York. Martin was convicted of wire fraud and will serve a 12-month prison sentence as ordered by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. In addition to her prison term, Martin is required to pay full restitution to her former employer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno provided details on the case, revealing that between April 2022 and June 10, 2024, Martin engaged in fraudulent activities against her employer in Amherst, New York, where she worked as a Senior Staff Accountant. Her responsibilities included ensuring timely payment of vendor invoices under the supervision of the Chief Financial Officer.
Martin’s scheme involved creating false vendor invoices addressed to her employer and executing unauthorized electronic funds transfers from the company’s bank account into her personal account. These transfers were disguised as payments for the fraudulent invoices she generated. In total, Martin conducted 95 such transactions amounting to $440,395. The embezzled funds were used for personal expenses and those of her family members.
The investigation leading to Martin’s conviction was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
