Former FBI paralegal sentenced to prison for embezzlement

Reporting from SAN DIEGO —  A paralegal specialist for the FBI in San Diego was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for embezzling nearly $250,000 in government funds.

Lynn M. Morris provided legal and administrative support to the FBI’s asset forfeiture unit, which seizes money and property from suspected criminals during investigations. As the unit’s designated coordinator, she deposited about $160,000 from one account and $92,000 from another into her personal checking account for her own use, according to her plea agreement and evidence submitted to the court.

She also stole more than $26,000 from FBI evidence rooms, authorities said.

The thefts occurred from 2014 to 2016.

Morris pleaded guilty in March to one count of embezzlement of government property.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns ordered Morris to pay $278,000 in restitution.

The case was investigated by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General in Los Angeles.

“After Lynn Morris’ guilty plea in March of this year, the San Diego FBI worked closely with the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General in order to fully investigate the conduct of our employee,” San Diego Special Agent in Charge John Brown said in a statement.

“We were resolute to restoring the integrity and trust that these criminal actions had tarnished by locating every dollar she had stolen from the government.”

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com