Former employee charged with embezzling $200K+ from Charlotte nonprofit

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Susan Watson, 41, of Gastonia, was charged Friday with embezzling more than $200,000 from a Charlotte nonprofit through a scheme using prepaid debit cards, said Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not name the company in the indictment.

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Watson was employed as a payroll administrator in July 2015 at the nonprofit’s office in Charlotte.

Employees received their paychecks through pre-paid debit cards, direct deposit and by check, and Watson’s knowledge of that led her to allegedly take advantage of the system.

From 2015 through November 2018, Watson reportedly used her position to obtain PINs from current and former employees to create fake prepaid debit cards in their names.

She then used a secure website as a payroll administrator and added money to the cards.

Watson used the cards for her personal benefit, officials said.

She was charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

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Cox Media Group