Ex-CDC Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Stealing $190,461 with Fake Invoices

Overview

• Brandon, who pleaded guilty Friday, admitted she submitted at least 46 fabricated vendor invoices between August 2023 and February 2025 that prosecutors say diverted $190,461.50 into an account she controlled.
• Prosecutors say she used her supervisory access and knowledge of the CDC’s payment system to direct employees to approve the bogus invoices and kept individual requests below the $10,000 review threshold.
• As part of the plea agreement she agreed to resign from the CDC and accepted a permanent bar on seeking federal employment or contracting with the government.
• U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and HHS-OIG special agent Marcus L. Sykes called the scheme embezzlement that exploited public trust, and authorities say the CDC flagged discrepancies that led to the investigation.
• The September sentencing before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg will determine criminal penalties and any restitution and could prompt the CDC to tighten invoice controls and oversight to prevent similar abuse.