Ohio Resident Charged with Wire Fraud and Embezzlement of More Than $460,000

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Conneaut, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of wire fraud and theft, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The five-count Indictment named Yelena Andrews, 48, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from in and around May 2024 to in and around March 2025, Andrews, while employed as a paralegal with an Erie, Pennsylvania, law firm, did devise and intend to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud by means of false and fraudulent pretenses. The Indictment alleges that Andrew's actions resulted in the embezzlement of approximately $462,376 to which she was not entitled.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.