NEWARK, N.J. – Two New Jersey residents were charged for their participation in a multi-year $1 million embezzlement scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

Ruby Baroni, 53, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and Rolando Veloso, 41, of Haskell, New Jersey, were each charged by a criminal complaint unsealed today in Newark federal court with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They made their initial appearances today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Between October 2010 and August 2016, Baroni and Veloso conspired with others to carry out a large-scale, multifaceted scheme to embezzle funds from an area guided-tour company. In some instances, Baroni, who served as the company’s accounting manager, cut checks drawn against the company’s checking accounts made out to either other company employees or fictitious individuals and then cashed those checks herself. In other instances, Baroni cut checks made out to various shell business entities formed by Veloso, none of which ever performed any services for the company; Veloso then deposited or cashed those checks for his personal use. Veloso also made substantial charges for his shell business entities on a company credit card issued to another conspirator, none of which reflected any actual work performed for the company by any of those entities. In all, Baroni, Veloso, and their conspirators embezzled over $1 million from the company.

The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.