Federal authorities say a high-ranking finance leader at an Italian construction company used counterfeit documents to boost her own compensation and benefits.

That’s according to an announcement Monday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland. Teresa Desy Majo, who previously served as finance chief for the North American arm of Officine Maccaferri S.p.A, has been charged with “wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a perjured immigration document in connection with the scheme,” according to a news release issued by U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes.

Per the news release, Majo used “multiple Maccaferri executives’ identities to fraudulently approve alleged employment benefits and compensation to enrich herself.”

The alleged crimes took place between January 2021 and May 2024, the release said. The feds said Majo defrauded both the U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries of Maccaferri’s North American arm.

Hayes’ announcement said that Majo fabricated documents and modified other executives’ emails to authorize “unwarranted employment compensation and benefits.” Such documents, the news release said, were submitted to the payroll departments of Maccaferri’s U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries.

Majo is originally from Italy but has been living in Virginia. At some point, Maccaferri fired Majo, but the feds said she hid this from immigration authorities: “After Maccaferri fired her, Majo withheld her termination from, and otherwise lied to, immigration authorities to obtain legal permanent resident status,” the release stated.

Majo could face up to two decades in federal prison for wire fraud, as well as a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft, according to Hayes’ announcement.

Maccaferri didn’t immediately respond to emailed questions on Tuesday morning.