A former chief compliance officer of an unnamed New York-based investment adviser was sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding clients and her employer.

Jennifer Campbell must also pay restitution of $371,332, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York announced Monday. Campbell pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November.

Between 2018 and 2021, Campbell stole more than $500,000 from her former clients and employer, mostly by writing checks with the forged signatures of her clients or a principal at the firm.

When a broker-dealer became suspicious and alerted anti-money laundering and financial crimes personnel, Campbell tried to hide her illegal activities by gaining access to the email accounts of principals at her firm and sending fake documents to the investigators. She was caught after the broker-dealer terminated their relationship and her employer confronted her about it.

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Campbell in June with violations of multiple securities laws. The agency said in its complaint Campbell used voice-altering software to impersonate colleagues on the phone, among other illegal ways to try and whitewash her criminal behavior.

The SEC’s ongoing complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.

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