Katherine Mott-Formicola pleads guilty to inflating her restaurant's accounts by $21 million through fraud.

Katherine Mott-Formicola, a 54-year-old restaurateur, pleaded guilty to financial fraud and money laundering for a check-kiting scheme that inflated her account balances. Between November 2022 and March 2024, she used multiple business accounts at Five Star Bank and Kinecta Federal Credit Union to deposit over 500 overvalued checks, spending nearly $21 million, resulting in a $18.9 million loss to the bank. Mott-Formicola faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, with sentencing set for May 1, 2025.

4 months ago
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