Former Fortuna City Council Member Christina ‘Kris’ Mobley Indicted for Fraud, Accused of Embezzling Over $500,000 from Beacom Construction
Kris Mobley [Photo from the Fortuna City Council website]
According to the indictment, Mobley orchestrated a fraudulent scheme from January 2022 through November 2024, using unauthorized checks and electronic payments to funnel company money into her personal accounts. The charges allege that she:
- Issued at least 15 unauthorized checks totaling approximately $67,100 from the company’s Umpqua Bank account to her personal Capital One credit cards.
- Conducted around 107 unauthorized Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments totaling about $299,700 from the company’s account to her personal credit cards.
- Used the company’s business credit card for personal expenses, including cash advances at casinos, airfare, and hotel stays.
- Issued unauthorized payroll checks to herself, padded her payroll hours, and cashed out unapproved vacation time.
- Wrote unauthorized checks to herself from the company’s pre-signed blank check supply.
The charges against Mobley include three counts of mail fraud and seven counts of wire fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count, a $250,000 fine (or twice the amount of gain or loss), three years of supervised release, forfeiture of assets, restitution, and a $100 special assessment per count.
An anonymous source at Beacom Construction confirmed to Redheaded Blackbelt that the company targeted in the fraud case was indeed Beacom Construction, where Mobley had been employed for 23 years. According to the federal indictment, Mobley was a bookkeeper and a business manager there.
A source at the company revealed that Mobley was a “long-time trusted employee” in a family-like atmosphere. The alleged theft came as a complete shock, said the source. In fact, when asked if there was any indication of theft, or that Mobley would be a suspect in any type of fraudulent behavior, the Beacom source said that upon learning of the theft, the information left them in a stupor, stating, “I should have had a heart attack and died right there.”
However, when confronted regarding the allegation, the source stated that Mobley admitted the alleged fraud.
According to the source, since first learning of the alleged fraud, the amount Mobley is accused of stealing has nearly tripled from the original amount the FBI believed to involved, to now being estimated at $580,000.
Despite the financial impact, the source indicated the construction company remains stable, and management has assured employees they not at risk of losing their jobs.
In a comment to Redheaded Blackbelt, Beacom Construction Co-Owner, Earl Ambrosini stated he’d like to thank the two FBI agents for all the work they had put into this case and will let the legal system handle the matter. Explaining further, he wrote, “Mrs Mobley has been replaced and the company as a whole is moving on.”
Mobley resigned from the Fortuna City Council on January 29, 2025, amid the FBI’s investigation. In her resignation letter, she cited personal reasons for stepping down.
Fortuna Police Chief Casey Day told Redheaded Blackbelt that the investigation is solely related to Mobley’s private employment and not her role in the city government. “There is no indication of fraudulent activity at the city level,” Day said, explaining that council members do not have direct access to city funds, making municipal financial misconduct unlikely.
According to the federal documents, Mobley has not been arrested.
Mobley is scheduled to appear in federal court later this month to face the charges. Federal authorities continue to investigate the case, and additional details may emerge as legal proceedings unfold. Our calls for comment from Mobley and the FBI have gone unreturned at this time.
Earlier: Breaking News: Fortuna City Councilmember Resigns Amid FBI Investigation
Update: DOJ Releases Information About Former Fortuna Councilwoman’s Indictment
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Wow, just Wow,
What, she just thought no one would notice?
This is why you have auditors looking at the books.
from January 2022 through November 2024
I’m glad she got charged. I don’t really think that type of behavior is that uncommon. People that want to abuse any iota of power they get are drawn like flies to government jobs. The concept of public servants is dead.
Apples and oranges.
Reminder this happened at a private company
Beacom Construction
Did you read the article or just the headline? She was on the Fortuna City council until a week ago. This is why he refers to people like this being attracted to government jobs.
Yes I did, thank you.
It stated there were no improprieties while she was on the city council and that she resigned “There is no indication of fraudulent activity at the city level,”
Mobley resigned from the Fortuna City Council on January 29, 2025, amid the FBI’s investigation. In her resignation letter, she cited personal reasons for stepping down.
Thank you for making sure I had all the repentant facts.
Sorry, no sale. Her activities had nothing to do with her public employment and associating her Personality with public employment has been disproved in Fortuna and County history and elsewhere. “. . . .people like this being attracted to government jobs . . . ,” you mean people like President Trump and his cohort? Like that?
I am certain, Beacom Construction doesn’t need a reminder.
I truly am appalled by anyone, anywhere, anytime who thinks taking money from anyone without their knowledge is okay. If you don’t own a business, I guess you don’t know how damaging this is to the bottom line.
If she is convicted, they must throw the book at her. We must have accountability for white collar crimes.
She should be put on suicide watch
The charges against Mobley include three counts of mail fraud and seven counts of wire fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count, a $250,000 fine (or twice the amount of gain or loss), three years of supervised release, forfeiture of assets, restitution, and a $100 special assessment per count.
I suggest she makes a call (if she hasn’t already) to Greg Rael. He represented someone in a similar situation (large building company) years ago and they dodged a big bullet/sentence.
Sounds like she has plenty of Beacom money to hire a great lawyer ( NOT) her family members are saying Shit our Sugar Moma got caught. Book her Dano.
There was a woman that did the books for the City of Trinidad a number of years back that got caught embezzling. I think she got 10 years?
She got 13 years; the sweetest, family oriented mother and wife. You couldn’t believe it when it happened.
Construction Crime
I sure wish my second wife had a government job.
Been watching too much Fox and OANN..
“This is why you have auditors looking at the books.”
-bill L
exactly Bill, exactly!
Blank signed checks????? Not paying attention to your business.
…casinos….
…and campaign funds for her election.
The chronic gamblers have no integrity, and think they are entitled to live off the creativity and hard work of others! Total betrayal. I bet that person felt they should have keeled over right then. It’s a jarring painful shock . Half a million dollars! And what does she have to show for it? Sucks that the people closest to us– that we trust the most –are the ones that are sometimes intent on destroying us.
I’m sure her hubris can say it is a faceless crime so it doesn’t matter but an incident like this can put a company out of business and leave hundreds of people unemployed and families having to start over.
A+
As a proud owner of an optic yellow Becom Construction employee t-shirt I got at Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna for 50 cents I take special exception to this story!
It’s a Tumor!
Trump will pardon her.
Biden already did.
Mobley worked for a construction company, so its possible that she was framed.
I saw what you did there.
Rather it appears the term is nailed.
If she were being charged by the Humboldt County DA, they’d strike a sweet deal to avoid trial, dismissing all but one charge, they’d reduce to a lesser charge, requesting no chain time and probation. The Fed’s a whole different ballgame and theirs no early release in the Federal system or good behavior credits.
A prominent real estate broker and property manager with businesses in at least Eureka and Mckinleyville has been stealing money from elderly property owners. Her husband is a LEO. I brought this to the attention of a DA investigator who seemed interested in helping, but said a regular law enforcement agency had ro open a case. I spoke to HCSO due to the multiple town/county properties involved. I was told this was a difficult case due to possibility multiple jurisdictions, was further told they would reach out to the FBI for guidance. I was also told to talk to EPD due to the office where the criminal activity was being conducted was in Eureka. I spoke to an officer, gave personal knowledge of the situation, gave another witness along with providing information about one of the multiple victims. I was told this would be investigated. It’s now been many months and still this woman is out there free to steal more money, and her husband is still a LEO.
I am clad this Fortuna case is being prosecuted, but sure would like to see EPD and HCSO do the work on this other case. You would think multiple charges in embezzlement and multiple charges of elder abuse would be taken seriously.
Write letter to editor naming names signed yourreal name, Kym publish, that’ll turn the heat up, get the ball moving
If there’s a reporter serious about getting the story out I’d be happy to talk to them. However, with the last “interview” I had with a crime story, I answered all the questions and things “got busy” and nothing became of it.
Same goes for LEOs, if there’s such a thing as one that’s serious.
Kris,
If you are reading this, or if any of the people in you life are reading this, I think the community needs to have you comment.
Up until the Federal indictment was issued you were a valued member and friend of this, your, community. Since you admitted to the fraud charges you have nothing to lose.
I think your community deserves to know what you are thinking here and now.
Dear Bill and fellow Law Abiding Citizens,
I f_____ed up big time (and got caught!)
Kris [Not Kris for anyone confused]
The first rule of business ownership is never allow a single person to take care of both accounts payable and accounts receivable. If you have control of both income and expenses it’s easy to embezzle. The lure of easy money has a very strong appeal.
Get day MAGA mamma !!! Bout time self righteous folks start paying up. Maybe she thinks Trump will save her ha!!!