ALEXANDRIA, VA.
Federal officials charged a 51-year-old woman with wire fraud for allegedly embezzling more than $1 million, including $653,000 from a state senator’s campaign fund, officials announced Monday.
The woman —Linda Diane Wallis, aka Lynn Wallis Miller, 51, of Fairfax, was for her alleged role in three fraud schemes totaling over $1 million in losses, including embezzling $653,000 from Virginia State Senator Richard Saslaw’s campaign fund, according to authorities.
According to the criminal allegations, Wallis is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly participating in three separate fraud schemes around January 2013 to February 2014.
This is what federal prosecutors are alleging in the criminal complaint:
- In the first scheme, Wallis, along with a co-conspirator, only identified as “D.M.”, created two fraudulent companies, the first known as Federal Legal Associates and the second was The Straile Group.
- Through various methods including fraudulent wire transfers and checks, Wallis allegedly caused approximately $368,400 in loss to Company A.
- The second scheme alleged in the criminal information details the embezzlement of approximately $653,000 from the campaign account of Senator Saslaw.
- Beginning in or around June 2013 to September 2014, Wallis served as the treasurer of the Saslaw for State Senate campaign.
- During that time, Wallis issued about 73 fraudulent checks from the Saslaw for State Senate campaign bank account, which totaled approximately $653,000.
- Wallis made the checks payable to Federal Legal Associates, The Straile Group, and herself.
- The third scheme detailed in the criminal information alleges misuse of funds from a non-profit charitable organization, of which Wallis was Executive Director and D.M. co-founded.
- The non-profit, known as The Community College Consortium on Autism and Intellectual Disabilities or CCCAID, claimed to provide assistance to Community Colleges for program development and implementation and information on the availability of resources for sustainability of programs.
- In or about April 2010, Wallis established CCCAID’s bank account and between in or about April 2010 to in or about April 2013, community colleges located around the country contributed approximately $293,000 to CCCAID.
- Additionally, a Bulgarian businessman associated with D.M. donated $500,000 to CCCAID. The funds contributed to CCCAID were to be used to further the mission of the organization and not to enrich Wallis or D.M.
- Despite these restrictions, from in or about April 2010 to in or about August 2014, Wallis authorized about $482,000 in transfers from CCCAID’s account to other bank accounts Wallis and D.M. controlled.
- A significant percentage of the $482,000 CCCAID was used to pay Wallis’ and D.M.’s personal expenses, such as mortgage payments, expenses related to food/restaurants, and merchandise purchases.
Wallis is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.