A former auditor for the California Water Service Company will
spend more than four years in prison after pleading no contest
Wednesday to using company computers to attempt to wire more than
$9 million into offshore bank accounts, according to the Santa
Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
A former auditor for the California Water Service Company will spend more than four years in prison after pleading no contest Wednesday to using company computers to attempt to wire more than $9 million into offshore bank accounts, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Abdirahman Ismail Abdi, 34, stole passwords to two of his employer’s computers hours after he resigned and used the information to wire transfer the money from the company to accounts in Qatar, Deputy District Attorney Christine Garcia-Sen said.
The banks involved were able to stop the funds from being withdrawn because the company discovered the illegal transfers several hours after they were requested, she said.
“He was just very unlucky,” Garcia-Sen said. “I don’t see how he wouldn’t have gotten away with it if they hadn’t have happened to check their transactions soon after.”
Abdi fled to Great Britain but was extradited for prosecution and arrested by the San Jose Police Department several weeks later. He is expected to face four months and four years in state prison for felony grand theft, according to the district attorney’s office.
