MCCLAIN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – Authorities arrested four people suspected of ripping off over $700,000 from a construction company in McClain County.
Linda Elliott, 54, Keith Elliott, 63, Shelia Railback, 51, and Tatiana Railback, 38, face dozens of charges connected to funds embezzled from Ben Hayes Construction, according to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation news release.
The alleged embezzlement includes more than a thousand fraudulent transactions totaling more than $700,000.
The owner of Ben Hayes Construction contacted the McClain County Sheriff’s Office in February and reported that Linda Elliott, his office manager/bookkeeper, embezzled approximately $700,000 from the business. Sheriff’s Office officials asked OSBI to assist with the investigation.
The company’s owner hired Linda Elliott in November 2019. The owner moved to Florida in February 2023, leaving Elliott in charge of paying bills and processing payroll.
Investigators found that hundreds of fraudulent transactions were made on the business account, the owner’s credit cards and other accounts while under Linda Elliott’s supervision. The fraudulent charges are as follows:
- 95 fraudulent checks and direct deposits on the Ben Hays Construction account totaling $410,780.45
- 318 fraudulent charges on one credit card for $64,520.33
- 174 fraudulent charges on a second credit card for $64,806.82
- 151 fraudulent charges on a third credit card for $11,567.37
- 361 fraudulent charges on a fourth credit card for $137,752.26
- 39 fraudulent charges on a credit card obtained by Linda Elliott using the company owner’s identity totaling $2,167.40
- 7 fraudulent charges on a fifth credit card for $4,795.07
- 33 fraudulent charges on the company owner’s Amazon account totaling $4,074.76
Linda Elliott’s husband Keith Elliott and Shelia and Tatiana Railback, a married couple, were found to be complicit in the scam. The charges each suspect faces are as follows:
- Linda Elliott faces 12 counts of embezzlement, three counts of identity theft, 10 counts of violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, one count of exploitation of the elderly and one count of conspiracy.
- Keith Elliott faces two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, three counts of receiving stolen/embezzled property and one count of conspiracy.
- Shelia Railback faces five counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, two counts of receiving stolen/embezzled property, eight counts of violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act and one count of conspiracy.
- Tatiana Railback faces two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, two counts of receiving stolen/embezzled property and one count of conspiracy.
Each suspect’s bond was set at $200,000.
The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office assisted with investigation.
