McCreery Aviation finance director sentenced in $1.2 million mail fraud scheme

McALLEN, Texas – A 57-year-old Mission resident has been ordered to federal prison after diverting company funds to pay for her personal expenses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei. Elizabeth Batten pleaded guilty July 9, 2025. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Batten to serve 25 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Batten used company funds to pay her personal debt. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Batten abused a position of trust for her own benefit. Batten was the director of financing at McCreery Aviation in the Rio Grande Valley from 2019 to 2023. Batten worked for the company for 16 years. As part of the plea, she admitted that during her tenure, she diverted company funds to pay for her personal expenses. Batten used signed blank company checks intended for legitimate business purposes to settle her personal credit card accounts. She also used the U.S. Postal Service to conceal her behavior and actions by mailing her fraudulent payments to multiple credit card companies in different states. The investigation began after a McCreery Aviation employee noticed irregularities in the handling of company checks in late 2023. Ultimately, it revealed Batten had fraudulently diverted a total of $1.2 million as part of her scheme. She was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.