Gabriel Ruiz De Chavez, a 47-year-old former operations manager from Fresno, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for a multiyear embezzlement scheme. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley ordered Ruiz De Chavez to pay over $1.5 million in restitution to his employer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced.
In July 2024, Ruiz De Chavez pleaded guilty to wire fraud. According to court documents, from 2004 to 2020, he worked as an operations manager for a Fresno-based trucking company. Between 2012 and 2019, Ruiz De Chavez exploited his managerial position to create fake invoices that appeared to come from legitimate vendors for goods and services.
He presented these fraudulent invoices alongside checks made out to real vendors, bearing his employer’s signature. After obtaining the signed checks, Ruiz De Chavez deposited the funds into his personal bank account. The stolen money was then used for personal expenses such as credit card payments, cash withdrawals, mortgage payments, vacations, and car loans.
Ruiz De Chavez created over 600 fake invoices, diverting a total of $1,561,000 from his employer’s accounts. His position of trust allowed the scheme to continue undetected for years. The fraudulent activities resulted in at least $1,491,000 being transferred into his personal account.
This sentencing serves as a reminder of the consequences of exploiting trust in the workplace for personal gain.