U.S. Attorney Jim Letten says that a former Marriott Hotel Director of Finance cooked up a scheme to siphon off $2 million from three New Orleans Marriott hotels.
Letten said that between 2003 and 2006, 38-year-old Sharon Harp devised a scam by which money which was supposed to be used to make change at bars, shops and restaurants in three Marriott hotels in New Orleans was instead funneled to Harp.
Prosecutors say Harp allegedly executed internal forms which caused small denominations of currency in a Marriott account at a local bank to be delivered by armored car to the hotel; however, instead of the money being used to make change, HARP converted the money to her own personal use.
The federal bill of information also alleges that in order to conceal her scheme to defraud, harp made fraudulent entries into the Marriott's computerized accounting system indicating that money had been deposited back into Marriott accounts, when instead she had pocketed the money.
Officials say the woman was assigned to the Marriott on Canal Street, the J. W. Marriott and the Marriott on Convention Center Boulevard.
If convicted, Harp faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, and a $250,000 fine.
She could also be ordered to pay restitution to Marriott.
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