Waste management worker pleads guilty to mail fraud

SPRING HILL — A Spring Hill woman pleaded guilty to mail fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

The Tampa office of acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announced the plea in a press release. Rebecca Smith, 46, worked as a purchasing agent in the Pasco County office of Waste Management Inc., according to the statement.

The press release states: “Between October 2015 and September 2016, Smith placed dozens of unauthorized purchase orders with corporate vendors for a wide array of products, ranging from industrial equipment to big-screen televisions.”

On invoices for purchases, the statement also says, Smith forged her supervisor's initials to mark their approval, submitted them for payment and took the ordered items home.

Waste Management. was able to return some of the items, but lost $91,000 due to the scheme. A sentencing date hasn't been set.

The U.S. Secret Service and Pasco County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.