A Laguna Hills woman was sentenced to four years in state prison and ordered to pay restitution for stealing in excess of $500,000.00 from trust fund accounts she managed on behalf of the Pellissier family. 

The 58-year-old former CPA pled guilty to two felony counts of grand theft with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crime and property damage.  According to reports, between 2001 and 2007, the woman wrote checks to herself from the trust fund accounts and deposited the monies into her personal checking account.  In addition, she neglected to file tax returns for her clients as well as provided accounting services after her license has expired. 

The fraud was uncovered by the IRS and, once notified, the Pellissiers discovered most of their money had been taken.  The woman is believed to have used the stolen money to purchase dolls for her doll collection.