A former senior marketing manager at Adidas North America has been accused of fraudulently funneling more than $300,000 to a relative's girlfriend, according to a federal indictment.
Britney Obstar, who was employed at Adidas' offices in Portland, submitted invoices to the company's accounts payable department between June 2009 and February 2010 for $570,000, according to The Oregonian. In turn, Adidas paid $336,361 in the nine-month period to a marketing company, Norcal Media Development, owned by the girlfriend of Obstar's brother-in-law although the company owner had no prior marketing experience, the indictment said.
The Norcal owner transferred “a substantial portion” of the money it received from Adidas to Still Not Sponsored, an Oregon company formed by Obstar's husband and his brother, the boyfriend of the Norcal owner.
The indictment said “a significant part of money Norcal sent to Still Not Sponsored to pay off his and (Obstar's) personal debts.”
The statutory maximum federal penalty for a person guilty of mail fraud is 20 years in prison, said Stacie F. Beckerman, assistant U.S. attorney.
