Malden Woman Charged with Bank Fraud

BOSTON – A Malden woman was arrested and charged yesterday in connection with a scheme to embezzle more than $795,000 from her employer.

Kayla Figelski, 32, was charged with one count of bank fraud. Figelski was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday.

As alleged in the criminal complaint, between April 2017 and June 2019, Figelski stole at least $795,000 from her employer, a law firm in Malden. Figelski allegedly forged checks to herself from her employer’s checking accounts, including conservatorship and trust accounts her employer maintained for its elderly clients and their estates, and deposited the checks into her own account, from which she withdrew the funds, or directly cashed the checks. To hide her scheme, Figelski allegedly modified bank statements to make it appear that the checks were written out to legitimate vendors rather than to Figelski.

The charge of bank fraud provides a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.