August 5, 2022
A San Antonio woman was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for financial and tax fraud.
According to court documents, Alicia Henderson was the office manager and bookkeeper for a non-profit corporation that provided services for the San Antonio Downtown Public Improvement District. Her responsibilities included oversight of the accounting and financial reporting functions for the non-profit corporation.
Between July 2014 and November 2017, Henderson forged or wrote to herself 118 checks drawn on the non-profit’s bank account and deposited the funds into her personal bank account. Henderson used the stolen money, totaling $291,385.23, for her own personal benefit but did not report the embezzled funds on her federal tax forms. Henderson owed $64,719 in taxes for 2014 to 2016.
In addition to the prison sentence, Henderson also was ordered to pay $356,104.23 in restitution. On October 21, 2020, Henderson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements on an income tax return.
“Ms. Henderson betrayed the public trust by first stealing from a non-profit and then failing to pay taxes on her income,” said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Callahan. “Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who use their positions to defraud citizens of San Antonio for their own personal enrichment.”
“The fraud and tax crimes perpetrated by Alicia Henderson cause people to distrust otherwise lawful enterprises and non-profit organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington, of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office, which includes San Antonio in its jurisdiction. “The sentencing today hopefully helps restore some of that public trust and reinforce to other would-be criminals and tax evaders that there is a price to pay for crime.”
“This individual took advantage of her position to personally enrich herself at the expense of the citizens of San Antonio,” said FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. “The public can have confidence that the defendant will be held accountable for the crimes she committed.”
The IRS-CI and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. Blackwell and William R. Harris prosecuted the case.