A former Charlotte-based accountant has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for embezzling more than $1.1 million from her employer, according to an announcement by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Mandy Deann Urban, 49, was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay restitution exceeding $1 million.
The sentencing follows a scheme carried out between January 2019 and June 2022 while Urban worked as a senior staff accountant at a company in Charlotte. She managed the company’s general ledger, prepared financial statements, and reconciled accounts payable and receivable as well as bank statements. Court records indicate that Urban exploited her position by transferring funds from her employer’s accounts into those she controlled. She concealed these actions by falsifying company books and records, making over 245 fraudulent transfers totaling $1,115,344.73.
Urban’s criminal history includes previous convictions in Florida. In 2015, she received five years of probation for stealing about $135,000 through grand theft. She was convicted again in June 2022 for another fraud scheme and sentenced to two years in prison with an order to pay roughly $283,000 in restitution.
On March 26, 2024, Urban pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges related to the case. She is expected to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons once a facility is designated.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson stated: “In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI and CMPD’s Financial Crimes Unit for their investigation of the case.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin prosecuted the case.
