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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Las Vegas Valley Water District purchasing agent has pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges that she bought and shipped more than $6.7 million worth of printer supplies to a New Jersey company.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden in Las Vegas says Jennifer McCain-Bray was arrested and arraigned Thursday and freed pending trial Sept. 26 in U.S. District Court.
Bogden said that if she's convicted, McCain, 41, of Las Vegas, could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of six counts against her.
McCain uses the name JJ McCain. Her lawyer, Louis Palazzo, said Friday he doubted she could carry out such a large-scale shipping scheme for so long while working out of an 8-foot-by-8-foot desk cubicle.
"Looking at the indictment, it just seems to me these numbers are grossly exaggerated," Palazzo said. "I want to see what documentary evidence they have to support their contention."
A grand jury indicted McCain after hearing evidence that for nearly nine years she bought ink and toner cartridges for the water district, relabeled them, and shipped them to the New Jersey company for resale.
In return, the indictment alleged that McCain received money and other things to her personal PayPal account.
The investigation became public in April, when KLAS-TV reported that McCain had resigned but hadn't been charged with a crime, and agency General Manager John Entsminger sent a message to employees saying the FBI was called in after an internal investigation that began in December.
"Nevada residents pay for this type of financial fraud through inflated costs and loss of faith in government," Bogden said in a statement that encouraged people who suspect financial crimes to contact local police.
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