Three Northern Virginia men have been charged with felonies in connection with an embezzlement scheme.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said Beckstrom Electric learned that one of its employees was possibly embezzling money in May.
Detectives figured out that two employees of the electrical company worked with the owner of R Gonzales Sheet Metal LLC and a third party temp agency — 3RG and Systems LLC — to create fake employees.
The three have been accused of stealing the wages they charged to Beckstrom Electric. The company said the workers they paid for never showed up on job sites.
Officials accused the trio of stealing more than $250,000 along with copper from job sites, which they sold for cash.
Francisco Aguilar Paz, 35, of Leesburg, Jose Aguilar Paz, 41, of Leesburg and Raul Gonzales Ascencio, 43, of Manassas have been charged with multiple felonies, including embezzlement and conspiracy to commit larceny.
Francisco Paz and Jose Paz were released on bond. Ascencio was let out on personal recognizance.