Santa Fe Woman Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Embezzling from Her Employer

ALBUQUERQUE - A Santa Fe woman was sentenced to more than nine years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Santa Fe electrical company.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, from approximately May 2017 through April 2020, Charity Felch, 48, embezzled at least $385,930 from her employer, Rodeo Electrical Services, by fraudulently paying herself and her husband, using company funds for personal expenses, and concealing the theft through fraudulent financial transactions. Felch also engaged in bank fraud by tendering fraudulent checks and committed aggravated identity theft and access device fraud by using another person's identifying information and financial accounts without authorization.

Felch exploited a position of trust granted by the owner of Rodeo Electrical Services, who had provided her employment and housing. The scheme nearly drove the company into financial ruin, delayed the victim's retirement plans, and caused significant financial, emotional, and physical hardship.

After pleading guilty to five counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of access device fraud, Felch continued to engage in deceptive conduct while on pretrial release. Court records show she repeatedly provided false information about her employment to Pretrial Services, the U.S. Probation Office, and the Court. A federal judge found her testimony regarding her employment history not credible and concluded that she had provided false information to supervising officers over an extended period.

Felch was sentenced to 111 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $385,930.19 in restitution to the victim. In imposing the 111-month sentence, which was at the top of the advisory guideline range, the Court cited the seriousness of Felch's conduct and the need to deter others from committing similar fraud offenses.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Office Fred J. Federici prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office brought a separate civil forfeiture action on April 15, 2022, seeking to forfeit assets seized in November 2021. Litigation in the civil proceedings is ongoing.