Woman gets prison term for embezzling $1.24 million from Newport company

A woman accused of embezzling from a Newport Beach-based property management company was recently sentenced in federal court to 35 months in prison.

Prosecutors alleged that Susan Lynne Chapman, 53, stole more than $1.24 million from Trinity Property Consultants from 2006 to 2012, when she was the company’s human resources director and was responsible for payroll.

Prosecutors contended that, through a fictitious car allowance, Chapman gave money to her son, Christopher Mons, who was employed for a time as a maintenance worker at the company.

After Mons left the company, Chapman would reactivate his employment in Trinity’s payroll system every pay period, then have the car allowance sent to a bank account she had with him.

Chapman was accused of using the money for her house’s pool and solar panel system, repaying a $35,000 loan to her mother, paying off credit cards and her mortgage and buying a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for her husband, according to federal court documents.

At her sentencing Dec. 16, Chapman was ordered to pay the $1.24 million in restitution and surrender to authorities Feb. 9.

Chapman’s attorney argued that her conduct at Trinity Property Consultants was “anomalous” to an “otherwise law-abiding life,” according to court documents.

Chapman also claimed that she stole the money because of threats from Mons, though prosecutors contended that in earlier interviews with her employer and law enforcement, she said she embezzled to alleviate her son’s financial situation, not because of any threats.

Chapman was first charged with felony wire fraud in December 2013.