30-Year Sentence for Woman Guilty in $450,000 Theft from Employer

Following Guilty Plea, Defendant Must Re-Pay $300,000 Stolen over Five Years

Atlanta—Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr.  (Atlanta Judicial Circuit) announces that, following her guilty plea, Daltriana Estrada (53) has been sentenced to 30 years (six of which are to be served in prison, with the balance on probation) for the theft of approximately $450,000 from her former employer over a five-year period. The defendant pleaded guilty to 17 counts of theft by taking and 11 counts of forgery. Between December 1995 and May 2001, Estrada stole the money from DataDirect, Inc., a family-owned, mail-house services company originally located in northeast Atlanta but now based in Dekalb County. Estrada, a trusted employee, would simply issue checks to herself or others for the funds. The deception was finally detected in May 2002.

In addition to her six-year prison term, the defendant must repay $300,000 to the company (for the funds stolen while DataDirect was based in Fulton County). There are also numerous special conditions to which she must adhere during her lengthy probation.

Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Bradley Malkin of the White Collar Crime Unit prosecuted the case. Tom Rumble of the District Attorney’s Office investigated. Judge Wendy Shoob presided.

CONTACT: Erik Friedly, 404.224.0560 (office); 770.583.6069 (pager); erik.friedly@co.fulton.ga.us