A Virginia businesswoman pleaded guilty Thursday to three fraud schemes, including ripping off a powerful state senator.
In court filings, prosecutors claimed Lynn Miller, also known as a Linda Wallis, wrote 73 fraudulent checks, totaling about $653,000, while serving as campaign treasurer to Virginia Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax). She redirected the money into bank accounts she controlled, prosecutors said.
The court filings also accused Miller of spending money raised for an autism organization on her own personal expenses, including restaurant tabs and home mortgage payments.
Miller declined outside court on Thursday to comment on her plea.
Prosecutors said Miller helped co-found the organization, known as the Community College Consortium on Autism and Intellectual Disabilities, along with a “conspirator” listed as “D.M.” in court documents.
Prosecutors, in their criminal complaint against Miller, said “D.M.” also helped re-direct the autism organization’s money toward personal expenses.
In another scheme, Miller and "D.M." created two fraudulent companies -- Federal Legal Associates and The Straile Group -- and caused a company about $368,400 in losses through various methods, including fraudulent checks and wire transfers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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Miller will be sentenced in January. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, plus a fine of as much as $250,000.
