Christiane Kathleen Irwin, 44, a former law firm controller who embezzled over $1.48 million by inflating her payroll, was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Irwin was indicted in March 2022 and pleaded guilty to wire fraud in August 2023. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr sentenced her to 50 months in prison and ordered her to pay $1,483,008.56 in restitution.
Court documents revealed that Irwin, who was responsible for submitting payroll at the firm, falsely inflated her salary, which was supposed to be approximately $140,000 annually, not including bonuses that could reach as high as $50,000. The firm’s payroll vendor transferred the inflated amount from the firm’s bank account to her personal account every two weeks.
Between 2019 and 2021, Irwin embezzled over $1.48 million, which she used to fund a luxury lifestyle, including the purchase of a luxury vehicle and multiple vacations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nashonme Johnson and Jenna Rudoff, with assistance from Financial Auditor Sheila Powell.
