Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced that a former employee of Apple, Inc., has been indicted by a state grand jury on a charge that she embezzled approximately $243,000 from the company, double-billing the company for reimbursement of business expenses on her company credit card and then using the resulting credit on the card to buy luxury items for herself.
Toni Ann Branca, 41, of Livingston, a former administrative assistant for Apple, was indicted yesterday on a charge of second-degree theft by deception. She was charged as a result of an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau.
As an administrative assistant for Apple, Branca worked mostly from her home in Livingston and was responsible for arranging employee training, travel and parking for her region. She was authorized to pay for company expenses such as conference rooms and employee parking with a company-issued American Express credit card in her name. It is alleged that Branca submitted dozens of duplicate requests for reimbursement of business expenses charged on her company-issued Amex card.
Apple made the duplicate payments to Branca’s Amex account, and Branca allegedly used the resulting credit balances to shop for clothes, electronics and furniture.
Between 2013 and 2016, Branca allegedly used the Amex card for more than $110,000 in personal retail spending, including purchases at Victoria’s Secret, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Home Goods. Branca allegedly stole a total of approximately $243,000, including $18,542 that she received in the form of two checks for expenses she said she paid personally, and $10,000 that was applied to the Amex card as a merchant credit which she failed to disclose to the company.
Apple initiated its investigation of Branca after it discovered numerous Victoria’s Secret charges on her company-issued Amex card. After conducting an internal investigation, Apple referred the case to the Division of Criminal Justice.
Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000.
The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.