Major League Baseball

Ex-Giants payroll head stole team money

Published Nov. 15, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

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The San Francisco Giants' former payroll manager pleaded guilty Monday to embezzling $2.2 million from the team.

Robin M. O'Connor, 42, pleaded guilty in San Francisco federal court to a single felony charge of wire fraud.

O'Connor admitted diverting payroll meant for employees — including players — to her personal account by creating false paychecks, reducing workers' tax withholding without their consent and other means, between June 2010 and June 2011. Authorities didn't identify the employees affected.

O'Connor remains free on $500,000 bond is scheduled to be sentenced March 5. She faces up to 20 years in prison.

She has agreed to forfeit a 2011 BMW 335, a 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck and more than $465,000 seized from three bank accounts. O'Connor had previously returned $608,000 to the Giants.

Team executives confronted O'Connor in July after being notified by Bank of America that she was applying for a loan and had recently received two large deposits from the Giants. The loan file included a letter on San Francisco Giants letterhead explaining two large deposits that had been made into O'Connor's bank account.

"Because of her outstanding contributions to our Major League Baseball team and front office during the 2010 season that assisted us in accomplishing our goal of winning the 2010 World Series, she was given two additional payments of compensation in May 2011," states the letter, quoted in the court files.

O'Connor acknowledged the embezzlement when confronted in July and was immediately fired, according to court documents. She was arrested and charged in San Francisco federal court July 7.

The Giants assisted with the investigation.

The team paid O'Conner $80,000 annually in base salary and she was eligible for bonuses, according to court files. She processed payroll for Giants employees, including players, and was responsible for making changes to amounts of money sent to employees' bank accounts.

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