Community Corner

Former Employee at Dow Jones Monmouth Junction Office Pleads Guilty to Stealing $400,000 from Company

Jacqueline Bucco, 32, of Bensalem, Pa. pleaded guilty in federal court today.

A former employee of Dow Jones & Company admitted in Trenton federal court today to stealing more than $400,000 while she was employed at the Dow Jones office in Monmouth Junction, according to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.

Jacqueline Bucco, 32, of Bensalem, Pa., entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to one count of wire fraud.

According to court documents and statements that were made during Bucco’s guilty plea, the former fulfillment staff assistant at the Dow Jones office processed sales orders received from Dow Jones customers into the company’s internal systems during her employment from at least as early as March 2009 through March 2011.  She also handled billing inquiries and adjustments to customer accounts.

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Bucco admitted in court that she accessed a dormant internal Dow Jones system, which contained company funds, and then she initiated transfers from the system to three bank accounts that she controlled for her personal use. In all, Bucco obtained approximately $429,210 from Dow Jones, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. 

Bucco admitted to spending the funds on the following personal items:

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  • a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle
  • 25 Coach items, including suitcases, purses, and checkbooks
  • two Louis Vuitton items, including a purse and a wallet
  • two Apple iPads and two Apple iPods
  • a Kindle
  • an X-Box Kinect
  • a Motorola Droid
  • a Nikon digital camera
  • a Meade telescope
  • a Sony handycam
  • two JBL 500-series speakers
  • a 32-inch Polaroid TV-DVD combination player
  • four guitars, including 3 Gibson Les Paul guitars and 1 Sterling guitar
  • two pairs of sunglasses, including Salvatore Ferragamo and Coach brands
  • jewelry – including five necklaces, eight bracelets, two pairs of earnings, and three rings
  • two dresses from David’s Bridal, including a wedding dress
  • a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes

The wire fraud count that Bucco pleaded guilty to carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain or loss resulting from her offense, according to the attorney's office. Bucco is currently scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2011.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited the special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacob F. Christine, for their investigation of the case.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Mendelsohn of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

"We reported this matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office and we're grateful for their quick action in resolving this issue," said Dow Jones Senior Vice President Bethany Sherman.  


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