Former City Chevrolet Controller Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud and Tax Evasion

May 3, 2010 - OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—DEBRA A. MINSHALL, also known as Debra Alzubi, of Oklahoma City, has pled guilty to using the U.S. Mail to defraud her former employer, City Chevrolet, and to evading federal personal income taxes, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

From 2002 until late 2008, Ms. Minshall worked as the controller at City Chevrolet, 5000 West Reno, in Oklahoma City. Her duties included writing checks, including checks to pay off liens on automobiles purchased by the dealership. In January of this year, a federal grand jury charged her with stealing from the dealership by signing City Chevrolet checks and mailing them to banks to pay her personal credit card bills. The indictment alleged that she disguised these personal payments as lien payments on automobiles that did not exist, that did not require lien pay-offs, or that had liens held by different banks. According to the indictment, the proceeds of the fraud scheme totaled $1,081,475.

In the same indictment, Ms. Minshall was charged with tax evasion for the years 2006 through 2008. For each of these years, she allegedly failed to report more than $200,000 in taxable income on her federal income tax returns.

Today, Ms. Minshall pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion. In a plea agreement, she consented to pay restitution to the dealership, as well as restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. She also agreed to forfeiture of the proceeds of her fraudulent scheme. The court will determine the amount of those proceeds at sentencing, which will take place in approximately 90 days.

Ms. Minshall’s punishment for mail fraud could be as much as 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Her punishment for tax evasion could be as much as five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and an additional $250,000 fine.

These charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott E. Williams.

Reference is made to court filings for further information.