Kayricka Wortham, a former operations manager at an Amazon warehouse in Georgia, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that resulted in the theft of over $9.4 million from Amazon.com. Wortham and six other individuals participated in the scam, which involved creating fake vendors and submitting fictitious invoices to Amazon. Through her position, Wortham approved payments for these fraudulent invoices, leading to substantial financial losses for the company.
As the mastermind of the plan, Wortham instructed her accomplices to input fabricated vendor data into Amazon’s system, then proceeded to grant approval to the fictitious vendors. By submitting forged invoices, they deceitfully represented that the vendors had provided goods and services to Amazon. Consequently, Amazon unknowingly transferred millions of dollars into Wortham’s and her associates’ bank accounts.
Wortham’s fraudulent activities extended beyond her role at Amazon, as she collaborated with other individuals, including Brittany Hudson, who owned a company contracted by Amazon for product deliveries. The Department of Justice accused Hudson of conspiring with Wortham to submit false invoices for nonexistent vendors. Other participants recruited by Wortham included Demetrius Hines and Laquettia Blanchard, who allegedly provided Wortham with personal information to create fictitious vendor accounts.
Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. sentenced Wortham to 16 years in prison and ordered her to pay restitution of $9,469,731.45 to Amazon. The seized assets, including a residence, vehicles, and over $2.7 million in illicit proceeds, will be used to compensate the company. The case highlights the consequences of engaging in fraudulent activities and serves as a reminder of the importance of trust and robust financial security measures.
