A federal judge sentenced Lakeway resident Robert Scott Villarreal to 87 months of imprisonment for a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars from a company headquartered in Austin where his ex-wife served as Chief Financial Officer.
During sentencing yesterday in Austin, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman also ordered the defendant to pay $15,941,452.87 in restitution to Richardson Enterprises, Ltd. (Richardson), which owns and operates automobile dealerships in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and $4,243,649 in restitution to the IRS. The defendant and his ex-wife used the embezzled funds to support a lavish lifestyle.
According to court records, an investigation conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) and FBI revealed that in 2009, Tamra Maurine Villarreal (aka Tamra Creighton Villarreal) and Scott Villarreal began stealing money from the company and using it for their personal benefit even though Tamra was paid an annual salary in excess of $400,000. The Villarreals
Former CFO of Richardson Enterprises, Ltd. sentenced for embezzlement
By Lauren Reid
AUSTIN, Texas - The former CFO of Richardson Enterprises, Ltd. has been sentenced to 63 months imprisonment for her role in a close to $16 million embezzlement scheme, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office.
51-year-old Tamra Maurene Villarreal (aka Tamra Creighton Villarreal) of Lakeway was also ordered to pay $15,941,452.87 in restitution to the Richardson family and $4,243,649 in restitution to the IRS. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, a federal judge in Austin, further ordered Villarreal to be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing her prison term.
A judge sentenced the chief financial officer of an Austin-based car dealership owner to five years in prison Wednesday for her role in a close to $16 million embezzlement scheme, federal prosecutors said.
Tamra Villarreal, 51, of Lakeway, will have to pay about $16 million in restitution to the Richardson family, which owns Richardson Enterprises, and $4.2 million in restitution to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Richardson Enterprises has car dealerships in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. As CFO, Villarreal compiled financial information and provided it to outside accountants.
From 2009 to 2017, Villarreal diverted money from Richardson Enterprises bank accounts to accounts belonging to herself and her husband, federal prosecutors said. She used those stolen funds, along with a corporate credit card, to pay for luxury items, hotel stays and restaurant tabs without the knowledge or permission of the Richardson family.