Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $1.49 Million from his Employer in Nearly Decade Long Scheme

FRESNO, Calif. — Gabriel Ruiz De Chavez, 46, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud for defrauding his employer out of over $1.49 million, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from 2004 to 2020, Ruiz De Chavez worked as an operations manager. Between 2012 and 2019, Ruiz De Chavez used his position to generate fake invoices purportedly created by genuine vendors for goods and services. He presented these fake invoices and corresponding checks made out to the real vendors to his employer for signature, and would then deposit the checks into his own personal bank account.

Ruiz De Chavez used the funds to pay for personal expenses including credit card payments, cash withdrawals, mortgage payments, vacations, and car loans. He was able to continue the scheme without notice because of the trusted position he held at the company. Between 2012 and 2019, Ruiz De Chavez created over 600 fake invoices and checks, causing at least $1,491,000 to be transferred into his account from his employer.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

 Ruiz De Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2024. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.