An Indian American auditor has pleaded guilty to the charges of embezzling more than USD2.7 million from his real estate employer. Varun Aggarwal, 41, who previously was an executive at a commercial real estate agency in California pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He submitted fictitious invoices for companies controlled by his family and friends, whose services never were performed, the Department of Justice said.

According to his plea agreement, from 2008 to January 2022, Aggarwal worked in the internal auditing department of the Newport Beach-based KBS Realty Advisors and rose to the level of the department's director. Beginning at least as early as January 2012 and continuing until January 2022, Aggarwal used his position at KBS to embezzle his employer's money, a media release said. As a member of the company's internal auditing group, Aggarwal was familiar with KBS's policies and procedures for payments to vendors. He used his knowledge of KBS's policies and procedures to have his friends and family serve as approved vendors to do contracting work for KBS.