By Katelynn Winebrenner
The Frederick News-Post, Md.
(TNS)
A Frederick, MD, woman has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges after 15 years of embezzling more than $730,000 into her bank account from her employer, authorities said.
Tara Taylor Williams, 52, who worked in the accounting and human resources departments of a country club, used the funds “for her own personal enrichment,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
She pleaded guilty on Friday.
According to the plea, Williams created a fake employee profile, using the name of a former employee, a fake address and a dead person’s Social Security number. She used the profile to make fake payroll entries and directed the paychecks into her personal bank account.
The country club—which was not named in the press release—lost another $170,000 in tax withholdings because of the scheme, the press release said.
When the country club discovered the scheme, Williams altered a document from the Maryland Child Support Administration to convince management that the fake employee was real, according to the release.
The country club fired Williams, and surveillance video showed her scanning and shredding documents before she left, the press release said.
Through search warrants, law enforcement officers found that she made internet searches about paying someone in error, ghost employee punishment and the address of the fake employee.
They also found a picture on her phone that showed two email addresses for the fake employee, the purported date of birth for the fake employee and the stolen Social Security number, according to the release.
Williams faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for wire fraud. Her sentencing in federal court is set for Feb. 5, 2027, at 10 a.m.
Photo credit: Curated Lifestyle/Unsplash
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© 2026 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.). Visit www.fredericknewspost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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Tags: accountant, Accounting, embezzlement, guilty pleas, wire fraud
