Atlanta woman to serve 16 years in federal prison after $9.5M Amazon fraud scheme

By Hope Dean

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — A woman from Atlanta has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after acting as the “mastermind” of a nearly $9.5 million Amazon fraud scheme.

Kayricka Wortham, 32, worked as an operations manager at an Amazon warehouse in Smyrna. During her time there, she recruited at least six other people to help her register fictitious businesses in Amazon’s vendor system, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia.

Through fake invoices to these businesses, Wortham collected about $9.5 million. She and her partner used the money to buy a nearly $1 million home in Smyrna, a 2022 Tesla Model X, a Kawasaki motorcycle and more.

“This individual stole millions from a business that employed her — exploiting not only their trust, but our nation’s financial systems,” said Steven R. Baisel, Special Agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Atlanta field office. “Thanks to the hard work of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s office, her sentence reflects the seriousness of her crimes and sends a message that this kind of fraudulent activity will not be tolerated.”

Wortham has also been ordered to pay Amazon almost $9.5 million in restitution. She was originally convicted for the fraud charges on Nov. 30 after pleading guilty.

Fraud isn’t Wortham’s only reported crime. While on bond in January, she and her partner worked with the CRU franchising company to open a hookah lounge in Midtown, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. After the company found and asked about the fraud charges, the women said the charges were dismissed, emailing fake court documents with a forged chief district judge signature.

Wortham has been indicted for defrauding CRU and forging the signature of a federal judge and court seal. These charges remain pending, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Several other Georgians have also been indicted in connection to the scheme. These include 37-year-old Brittany Hudson, Wortham’s partner; 32-year-old Darrel Burgo, who provided stolen identities that were used to set up fake vendor accounts; and 47-year-old Jamar James, Sr., another operations manager at Amazon’s Duluth location.

The case is still being investigated by the Secret Service.

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