Oahu woman accused of embezzling $1M pleads no contest

HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii woman accused of embezzling more than $1 million from her former employer has pleaded no contest.

Tamila Alcoran, 49, was charged last year with 311 felony counts of identity theft, computer fraud, theft and forgery.

Alcoran embarked on a series of “sophisticated and prolonged” schemes against Greg Boyer Hawaiian Landscapes Inc., which resulted in the company going bankrupt, prosecutors said.

Alcoran will be sentenced to a 20-year prison term on July 10. She will be ordered to pay back about $1.3 million.

“This case shows that theft, particularly identity theft, is not a victimless crime,” Prosecuting Attorney Keith M. Kaneshiro said. “We are glad that the statutory provisions mandate the court to sentence Ms. Alcoran to 20-year prison terms.”

Alcoran was hired as the company’s office manager in 2008. Her first year there she started using the company owner’s personal information to acquire numerous fraudulent credit cards.

She is accused of obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise and services, prosecutors said. She then diverted funds from the company bank account to pay off the credit card charges.

In addition to the credit card scheme, Alcoran accessed the owner’s online investment account, sold off the stock and used the funds for personal expenses. She also forged checks to pay the rent on her Kaneohe residence. She also forged checks and made them payable to a dummy corporation that existed only on paper, prosecutors said.

Her crimes continued for six years, prosecutors said. The company’s owner ended up being sued by lenders when Alcoran’s fraudulent loans weren’t paid.