Former Hank’s Oyster Bar GM pleads guilty to embezzling $680,000 in fake employee scheme

Former Hank’s Oyster Bar GM pleads guilty to embezzling $680,000 in fake employee scheme

The former general manager of Hank’s Oyster Bar in Alexandria pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $700,000 in a scheme that involved creating and paying fake restaurant employees, officials say.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The former general manager of Hank's Oyster Bar in Alexandria pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $700,000 in a scheme that involved creating and paying fake restaurant employees, officials say.

According to the Commonwealth's Attorney's office, 53-year-old Claude Ibrahim of Manassas created five fictitious employees and submitted biweekly timesheets for them while receiving their pay for approximately eight and a half years.

The first fabricated employee account was set up in June 2014. The sham operation continued until Ibrahim's termination in November 2022.

Over the course of the scam, Ibrahim embezzled approximately $680,000. She admitted to the scheme when she was confronted about the false employees, according to officials.

Ibrahim is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2024. The maximum penalty for felony embezzlement is 20 years behind bars for each count. The maximum penalty for misdemeanor embezzlement is twelve months in jail on each count.

Ibrahim has been released on bond.