Thanh Hoa Thi Bui, 42, of Valdosta, Georgia, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $1.6 million from a Baton Rouge business. Bui, who worked as a bookkeeper, was convicted of wire fraud and making unlawful monetary transactions. In addition to her prison term, she was ordered to pay restitution of $1,694,095.59 and will serve three years of supervised release following her sentence.
Between 2017 and 2020, Bui used her position at a small business in Baton Rouge to embezzle funds from the company’s bank account. The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Bui wrote over 100 checks to herself, convincing her employer to sign them under false pretenses. She deposited the checks into her personal bank accounts, moving the stolen funds through various transactions and withdrawing cash.
Bui also used the stolen funds to pay for utilities at a chicken farm in Mississippi, and to settle debts related to a real estate investment in Covington, Louisiana. Her fraudulent activities caused significant financial harm to the victim.
In July 2023, Bui was indicted by a federal grand jury, and she was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, following the issuance of an arrest warrant.
