Mobley. | Photos via City of Fortuna and DOJ.

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Christina “Kris” Mobley, a resigned Fortuna councilmember, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison yesterday for an embezzlement scheme where she stole over $500,000 from her former employer.

Mobley, 59, pleaded guilty to four counts of felony fraud in December 2025 for theft that included her issuing company checks to herself, arranging electronic payments to cover her personal credit card debts and falsifying her vacation time and payroll checks.

Lasting about two years, the fraud totaled $586,000 and almost sent Beacom Construction Company into bankruptcy.

Mobley, who abruptly resigned from city council amid an FBI investigation into the embezzlement, was also sentenced by United States District Judge Charles R. Breyer to a three-year period of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $586,000.

In a pre-sentencing memo, Mobley’s attorney said an extensive history of trauma pushed her to a gambling addiction.

“Ms. Mobley shows sincere and complete remorse and is dedicated to not only making the victims whole, but to dealing with the untreated trauma that led her to the actions underlying her offense,” according to the memo.

Her attorney pointed to her lack of criminal history and medical issues, asking the judge to impose a sentence of probation, restitution and community service. A number of character letters urged leniency.

But attorneys for the Department of Justice said her actions almost caused the company to go bankrupt. The DOJ memo said Beacom’s owners did not know Mobley was responsible for the financial pressure on the company until the FBI showed up, and still “refused to believe it.”

“Even more devastating than the financial pain, though, was the sense of betrayal,” the DOJ memo said.

“Beacom’s owners treated Defendant Christina Mobley like their daughter. They trusted her with everything in the company, from office management to bookkeeping. Like family, they even trusted her with personal matters, like being the executor of one owner’s will. The Defendant betrayed that trust by stealing everything she could, in whatever way she could. The pain of that betrayal will persist long after the financial damage is addressed.”

The DOJ said she continued to steal, even after being initially confronted.

Mobley was ordered to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons in 90 days.  

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