Glynn County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Over $250K from Real Estate Company

Tabitha Dobi, 46, of Brunswick, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for wire fraud, announced Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Dobi, who managed the office of a real estate company, pleaded guilty to the charges. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered her to pay $251,569 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.

According to court records and testimony, discrepancies in financial records of a real estate company in St. Simons triggered an investigation after a missing cash deposit. FBI investigators found that Dobi, the office manager for four years, had siphoned off cash deposits intended for property rentals and manipulated the accounting system to conceal her actions.

Dobi also directed one rental tenant to pay her directly through an online payment app, using the money for personal benefit, and allowed unauthorized individuals to stay at rental properties without charge.

The company suffered a loss of $251,569 due to Dobi’s schemes.

“Tabitha Dobi misused her position to defraud hundreds of thousands of dollars from an employer who trusted her,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence holds her accountable for her fraudulent activity.”

Will Clarke, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Brunswick office, commented, “Dobi violated the trust placed in her by her employer and will now spend time in prison paying for her crimes. Hopefully, this sentence sends a message that the FBI is dedicated to working with our partners to protect companies from anyone seeking to defraud them for their own personal greed.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.