San Antonio woman gets over 13 years in federal prison for $595,000 fraud scheme

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FOX Local
Published September 21, 2026 10:18 PM CDT

The Brief

    • Monica Marie Padilla was sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison for embezzling more than $595,000 from three San Antonio businesses and their clients.
    • Prosecutors revealed she spent the stolen funds on home remodeling, DoorDash orders, Disney merchandise, a California trip, and her daughter's cheerleading activities.
    • Padilla continued her scheme while out on pretrial release, taking a new remote bookkeeping job and defrauding that firm before pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A San Antonio woman was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $595,000 from three businesses and their clients.

Details of the $595K embezzlement scheme

What we know:

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, 49-year-old Monica Marie Padilla was sentenced on Sept. 16, 2026.

Monica Marie Padilla (Bexar County Sheriff's Office)

Court documents show Padilla worked as a bookkeeper for multiple businesses during three separate periods between June 2021 and February 2025. She had access to the companies’ bank and credit accounts and used several methods to steal money.

Stolen funds spent on DoorDash, Disney, and vacations

Prosecutors said Padilla used the stolen funds to remodel her home, buy Disney merchandise, pay for hundreds of DoorDash orders and fund her daughter’s cheerleading activities. 

She also paid for a trip to California that cost more than $5,700.

U.S. attorney calls defendant a "financial predator"

What they're saying:

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons called Padilla a "financial predator" with numerous prior convictions.

"An embezzling bookkeeper can do incalculable harm not just to the victimized businesses but to the lives of many innocent people. The monetary harm is usually just the tip of the iceberg in these types of cases," Simmons said in a statement.

FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith said Padilla betrayed the trust of her employers and used the stolen money for personal gain.

New crimes committed while out on pretrial release

The backstory:

Padilla was initially charged in a 30-count indictment in August 2023. A superseding indictment filed in February 2025 included 18 counts.

While released before trial, Padilla violated her bond conditions, lied to pretrial services and obtained a remote bookkeeping job with an accounting firm. She then defrauded that employer and its clients, according to court documents.

Padilla was later charged with three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of money laundering. She pleaded guilty to all five charges on Aug. 20, 2025.

The FBI investigated the case. 

The Source: Information in this article was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas

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