And the punishment was severe.
The 47-year sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Martha Vazquez is expected to keep Susan Harris, former president of Ayudando Guardians Inc., in prison for the rest of her life, given her age of 74.
Harris’ husband and Ayudando guardian representative William Harris, 60, will be imprisoned for the next 15 years – the maximum sentence for his role in the scheme that pilfered more than $11 million from client accounts over a decade.
Two others in the company, including his stepson, were sentenced to prison last year. The “widespread theft” was disrupted in 2017 after several employees of the nonprofit firm noticed missing client funds and alerted law enforcement.