A Ventura County bookkeeper has been sentenced to four years and four months in prison for stealing more than half a million dollars from a Thousand Oaks medical practice. Ida Veronica Hernandez, 45, pleaded guilty to seven counts of felony grand theft and filing false documents, with losses exceeding $100,000.

Between 2020 and 2021, Hernandez transferred large sums into accounts she controlled using multiple aliases. She also directed payroll payments to family and friends while working as a trusted employee. The scheme resulted in losses of at least $556,000 from the medical business.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise emphasized the devastating impact beyond financial losses, noting the mental pain and frustration of unraveling months or years of fraudulent records. Hernandez fled the area during the investigation and allegedly committed similar thefts in Orange County before being apprehended while traveling across the country. She was ordered to pay $560,000 in restitution to the medical practice.