HOWARD COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — An Ellicott City woman pleaded guilty to wire fraud after she stole more than one million dollars from a real estate agency and used it for luxury items, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Officials said on Dec. 19, 41-year-old Jennifer Tinker pleaded guilty to the federal charge.
According to her plea, between January 2020 and November 2023, Tinker defrauded a real estate agency she worked for by transferring more than one million dollars to her personal bank account.
Officials said the Tinker received the money through wire transfers, Zelle payments, checks, and ACH.
She also embezzled money from the real estate agency’s escrow, operation, and commission accounts.
Between February 2021 and November 2023, Tinker wired money to her bank account more than 90 times.
The attorney’s office said she hid the transfers by listing fictitious “recipients” on the wire transfer paperwork to make them appear legitimate.
Tinker reportedly used the stolen money to pay for luxury goods, personal expenditures such as vacations, Taylor Swift tickets, and five different vehicles.
She faces a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release.
Tinker’s sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2025.
