Ex-cashier will face more than eight years in prison after admitting to embezzling over $13 million from Matthews International, a privately held investment company, over the course of 16 years.
Cynthia Mills, 56, managed to execute the largest embezzlement crime in Western Pennsylvania history, something U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer called: ‘a sophisticated scheme of deception,’ reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
‘It’s the largest scheme of embezzlement seen in this court,’ said the judge in a courtroom in Pittsburgh. ‘It was thoughtful, deliberate conduct,’ she said.
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Cynthia Mills, pictured walking to a courtroom in Pittsburgh Thursday, will face more than eight years in prison after admitting to embezzling over $13 million from Matthews International over the course of 16 years
Mills, who worked at Matthews since 1981, pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $13 million with her attorney, Phil DiLucente, revealing she plans on ‘paying back every single dollar.’
In a video obtained from WPXI News, they said: ‘She bought three homes, two luxury cars, designer purses and a yacht.’
She pleaded guilty in March to to mail fraud, wire fraud, tax evasion and money laundering and agreed to spend seven and a half years in prison.
Mills, who worked at Matthews since 1981, pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $13 million with her attorney, Phil DiLucente (L), revealing she plans on ‘paying back every single dollar’
Mills managed to execute the largest embezzlement crime in Western Pennsylvania history
However, that sentence was extended to an additional 10 months after they found out she had more assets hidden away.
In court she said: ‘I stand here today, before you, a broken woman…I’ve deceived myself and my family who raised me to be honorable and follow the law.’
Her and her attorney are blaming her embezzlement on a gambling addiction, in spite of prosecutors arguing the intent was pure greed.
DiLucente said: ‘the majority of the money that she had taken was spent on gambling, that is where the real addiction is.’
She bought three homes, two luxury cars, designer purses and a yacht
Her attorney (R) blamed her embezzlement on a gambling addiction
She and her attorney (pictured here) also argued the embezzlement was because she didn’t feel valued at work and believes she was overlooked for raises and promotions
In court she said: ‘I stand here today, before you, a broken woman…I’ve deceived myself and my family who raised me to be honorable and follow the law’
She also argued a reason for the embezzlement was because she didn’t feel valued at work and believes she was overlooked for raises and promotions.
The judge did state she needed mental health counselling and help for her gambling addiction.
Some of the items she bought with the embezzled money include a designer handbag, a fur coat, a yacht, a home, a bear skin, a car and luxury jewelry.
One of the property’s she purchased was 501 Barbary Coast Court, DuBois in Pennsylvania
She acquired a 2013 MD Meridian 441SB yacht (pictured here)
Pictured a 2013 K T M motorcycle that she bought
Pictured here is a silver 2013 Ford Focus hatchback
One of the properties she purchased was 501 Barbary Coast Court, DuBois in Pennsylvania.
She also acquired a 2013 MD Meridian 441SB yacht. One of the luxury cars she purchased was a white 2014 Mercedes M35 SW, also a silver 2013 Ford Focus hatchback.
She bought several expensive coats such as a red fox coat, a Chinchilla jacket and a blonde sheared Mink stroller. Her expensive taste included handbags from Louis Vuitton.
She also purchased a bear skin with a head
Mills also purchased a lot of luxury jewelry including a diamond necklace and a Bulgari gold necklace among a lot of other items.
She purchased a mountain stuffed bear, a bear skin with a head, an animal skull and deer antlers.
Gary Mills, her now-estranged husband, has been charged with filing false joint income tax returns for 2012, 2013 and 2014.
He is under indictment on tax charges in connection with the scheme, however his attorney argues he didn’t know his wife was stealing from Matthews as she was channeling some of the money through her father’s bank account to hide the thefts.
She bought a Platinum, Gold and Diamond necklace (L) and a Louis Vuitton bag (R)
Matthews Internation Coporation (pictured here) was where Mills embezzled the money from for 16 years, 1999 to 2015