Los Angeles, CA. – A Las Vegas couple pleaded guilty late this afternoon to federal charges related to the wife’s scheme to embezzle funds from Sharebuilders Federal Credit Union and the failure to report the embezzled income on their jointly filed tax return.

Mireya Guadalupe Gonzalez, 37, and her husband, Jorge Luis Gonzalez, 35, each pleaded guilty today to one count of subscribing to a false income tax return for the 2006 tax year. In addition, Mrs. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from a federally insured credit union.

According to the wife’s plea agreement, between January 2005 and March 2007, Mrs. Gonzalez worked as the manager of Sharebuilders Federal Credit Union. Mrs. Gonzalez had access to the computerized records of the credit union, and was able to authorize transfers between accounts.

During her employment at Sharebuilders FCU, Mrs. Gonzalez identified various “dormant accounts” that were inactive and had minimal or no customer funds on deposit. Mrs. Gonzalez used the computers to generate electronic transfers of funds to accounts over which she had signatory authority, including a joint checking account with her husband, and two accounts in the names of her children. The source of the funds deposited to the Gonzalez family accounts were the dormant accounts and the general ledger accounts of Sharebuilders FCU.

After transferring the funds to the Gonzalez family accounts, Mrs. Gonzalez and her husband withdrew money and used it to buy personal items such as jewelry, automobiles, and luxury items.

The withdrawals from the dormant accounts caused those accounts to have large negative balances. Mrs. Gonzalez covered up the fraudulent deposits to the Gonzalez family accounts by altering names and numbers assigned to the dormant accounts, transferring balances to the dormant accounts from other accounts, and providing false information to auditors hired by Sharebuilders FCU.

The embezzlement scheme perpetrated by Mrs. Gonzalez substantially jeopardized the safety and soundness of Sharebuilders FCU, and the National Credit Union Administration Board seized control of the credit union in April 2007 due to insolvency.

During tax years 2005, 2006, and 2007, Mrs. Gonzalez and her husband received income related to her scheme to embezzle funds from Sharebuilders FCU and did not report that income on their tax returns. According to Mrs. Gonzalez’s plea agreement, she admits that she and her husband received unreported income of $676,000 for 2005, $338,000 for 2006, and $150,000 for 2007.

As a result of today’s guilty plea, Mireya Gonzalez faces a statutory maximum sentence of 33 years in federal prison and fines up to $1,100,000. In addition, Mrs. Gonzalez will be required to pay full restitution to Sharebuilders FCU, as well as the IRS. The amount will be determined prior to the time of sentencing. Jorge Gonzalez faces a statutory maximum sentence of 3 years in federal prison and fines up to $100,000. Both are scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2011 by United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee.

The investigation into Mireya and Jorge Gonzalez was conducted by the IRS - Criminal Investigation in Los Angeles in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.