A 52-year-old Frederick woman has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges after embezzling more than $730,000 from a private, member-owned country club where she worked in accounting and human resources.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Tara Taylor Williams carried out the scheme from 2010 through September 2025 by creating a fictitious employee in the club’s payroll system.
Williams allegedly used the name of a former employee, a fake address and the Social Security number of a deceased individual to establish the fraudulent account. She then entered false work hours to generate paychecks, directing the payments into her personal bank account.
Over the course of the scheme, the country club paid more than $900,000 in wages and withholdings associated with the fictitious employee, including more than $730,000 deposited into Williams’ personal account.
When the club discovered the fraudulent employee, Williams attempted to conceal the scheme by altering a Maryland Child Support Administration document to make the employee appear legitimate. Surveillance footage also showed her scanning and shredding documents before leaving the premises following her termination.
Investigators later recovered evidence from Williams’ electronic accounts, including internet searches related to fictitious employees and information associated with the fraudulent payroll account. Williams faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2027.
