Southern-California Man Sentenced for Pet Insurance Theft

A Southern California accountant has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for stealing more than $2 million from a pet insurance company.

Stephen Anthony Frlekin of El Segundo pleaded guilty in a Santa Ana courtroom Friday to 152 felony counts including money laundering, fraud and grand theft. He immediately received the 12-year sentence and was ordered to pay restitution of $2.7 million.

Prosecutors say Frlekin was a certified public account hired by Veterinary Pet Insurance in Brea when he transferred money from the company account to his own over several months in 2008, then transferred it to various accounts in Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean.

The scheme was discovered when a substitute employee mistakenly opened a bank statement instead of giving it to Frlekin.