Overview
- Worden entered the guilty plea on Nov. 13 to making materially false statements to the FTC and NASA’s Office of Inspector General, an outcome announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas on Nov. 18.
- Her 2019 complaints alleged astronaut Anne McClain accessed her bank account from the International Space Station, triggering federal investigations.
- Investigators found the account was opened in 2018, both spouses used shared credentials through January 2019, and Worden had granted access as early as 2015.
- Under the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to dismiss separate fraud charges tied to a 2017 Texas land investment, and restitution to affected investors remains possible.
- Worden remains free on bond and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; McClain consistently denied wrongdoing, saying she had permission to access shared family finances.