Hawthorne City Treasurer Faces Federal Bank Fraud Charges Over $200,000 Scheme

The elected treasurer of Hawthorne, California, has been indicted on federal bank fraud charges alleging she orchestrated a scheme that cost her former employer more than $200,000. Marie Poindexter-Hornback, who oversees approximately $50 million in municipal funds, faces 12 criminal counts and has taken a leave of absence from her city position while awaiting trial scheduled for May 2025.

Background and Context

The federal indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, outlines allegations against Poindexter-Hornback stemming from her employment as a staff accountant at Fidelity, a private mortgage lending company. The charges reportedly cover activities between June 2023 and July 2024, during which time Poindexter-Hornback was already serving as Hawthorne's elected city treasurer—a position she won in November 2022.

Key Figures and Entities

Poindexter-Hornback brings more than three decades of accounting experience to her role as city treasurer, with previous positions including senior accounting manager, vice president of finance, and director of finance at various institutions. According to the City of Hawthorne's official website, she also operates her own tax preparation business and provides financial education to students. The alleged fraud targeted Fidelity's accounts at California Bank & Trust, with funds ultimately traced to accounts at multiple financial institutions including Wells Fargo, First Citizens and Trust, and several credit unions.

Legal and Financial Mechanisms

The indictment describes a two-stage scheme exploiting Poindexter-Hornback's access to Fidelity's financial systems. Initially, she allegedly used the company's Amazon account to purchase personal items totaling $1,632.83, falsifying entries in the company's QuickBooks software to disguise the transactions. The scheme evolved in August 2023 when Poindexter-Hornback began altering vendor checks, changing payee names to initials "R.J." or "D.M." and using her authorization on the Positive Pay fraud prevention system to validate the altered checks. Over approximately 11 months, more than 10 transactions exceeding $5,000 each were diverted to personal accounts, according to court documents.

International Implications and Policy Response

While the case remains local in scope, it highlights broader concerns about municipal financial oversight and employee access to financial systems. Hawthorne City Attorney David Caceres emphasized in a statement that "the Treasurer reports only to City voters," underscoring the limited direct oversight mechanisms for elected financial officials. The city has responded by implementing an interim arrangement where the Director of Finance assumes treasury duties during Poindexter-Hornback's absence. Municipal governance experts note that the case may prompt reviews of internal controls and segregation of duties policies in cities across California, particularly regarding elected officials with direct financial access.

Sources

This report draws on the federal indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, court documents reviewed by reporters, the official City of Hawthorne website, and statements from Hawthorne City Attorney David Caceres. The original reporting appeared in the Daily Breeze.