Woman Gets Year in Money-Order Thefts

A Lancaster woman was sentenced to a year in County Jail on Thursday for stealing more than $12,000 in money orders from the San Fernando mail-order company where she worked.

Estelita Vasquez Asmar, 43, pleaded guilty in October to one count each of grand theft of personal property and forgery of checks for altering hundreds of money orders made out to the United States Purchasing Exchange and depositing them in her bank account between January and November, 1988.

According to court records, Asmar changed money orders sent to the company so they appeared to be made out to Onited Btates Rordhasing Bychange and cashed them at local check-cashing outlets. She then deposited the money in a bank account under the name of Onite Rordhasing Bychange Corp., a front company for which she received a business license from the city of Los Angeles in September, 1988, Deputy Dist. Atty. Steven Jay Ipsen said.

Most of the money orders were for sums between $5 and $15, Ipsen said.

Also being sought in connection with the scam are Asmar’s two daughters, Joselyn Garcia, 21, and Maridona Garcia, 25, Ipsen said.

San Fernando Superior Court Judge Malcom Mackey suspended Asmar’s sentence for a month so she could raise money to reimburse her former employer. He said he would re-evaluate the sentence at that time, depending on whether Asmar makes an effort to repay the stolen money.