GC who stole $500k from her employer sentenced to prison

The former general counsel of a San Francisco-based financial technology company was sentenced to 37 months in prison Monday after admitting she stole at least $500,000 from her employer.

Brooke Campbell Solis, 51, who worked for Good Money Inc. remotely from Austin, Texas, should participate in a residential drug abuse program after she reports to prison on March 21, U.S. District Court Judge James Donato said. As part of her plea bargain, she agreed to give up her law license. USA v. Solis, 3:21-cr-00297, N.D. Calif., (filed Jul 29, 2021)

As general counsel, Solis was responsible for Good Money's legal, financial and accounting functions. She was promoted to the position of chief business officer in March 2019 and granted "super administrative" privileges within the accounting and expense management programs used by her employer.

Solis admitted that she used these privileges to steal money by preparing and using fraudulent invoices requesting payments to a shell company -- The Paralegal Group LLC -- that she created and controlled.

She maintained access to the company's accounting systems after she left and diverted more than $400,000 before her fraud was detected. In total, she admitted to stealing more than $500,000 from the company.

"Under some very adverse circumstances she made a series of poor choices. It is a tragic story of a fall from grace," her attorney Douglas L. Horngrad of the Law office of Douglas Horngrad said. "We believe that given good conduct credits and participation in BOP (bureau of prisons) programs, Ms. Solis will serve about 18 months."

In a letter to the judge, Solis wrote, "It is important to me to communicate to you that I take full responsibility for my crimes and that while I can explain that my judgment was impaired by my addiction, that does not diminish my understanding that I was and continue to be fully responsible for my actions."