A Centerville resident has admitted guilt in a case of wire fraud involving the embezzlement of $550,000 from her employer, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Herndon. Paula Sue Leventhal, 64, held the position of Chief Executive Secretary to the CEO and was responsible for arranging executive travel.
Court documents reveal that on November 30, 2015, Leventhal set up a merchant account on Square, a platform allowing businesses to process card payments. The system permits users to modify the merchant name displayed during transactions. Between December 2015 and July 2022, Leventhal utilized cooperative-issued credit cards to transfer funds to herself via fraudulent charges on Square. She masked these transactions by altering the merchant name linked with her Square account so they would appear as legitimate business expenses.
Leventhal transferred money from her Square account to her personal accounts over several years. From December 14, 2015, through July 6, 2022, she executed this scheme by making 506 fraudulent charges totaling $550,000 and moved these funds in 373 transfers into her personal accounts.
Her sentencing is scheduled for May 28. The maximum sentence for such federal offenses is typically reduced when applied by a judge who considers guidelines and statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia and Matt McCool of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office announced the plea acceptance by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.
The prosecution team includes Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul III and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hood, with significant investigative support from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Finnegan.
Further information can be accessed via the websites of both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the District Court for this region under Case No. 1:25-cr-26.