NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A former PepsiCo Inc. employee was charged Tuesday with wire and mail fraud in connection with her alleged scheme to defraud the snack and beverage giant.

Along with three counts of wire fraud and one of mail fraud, Angela McNeill is accused of defrauding PepsiCo (Research) of more than $275,000 from 2000 until her termination in 2004, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

As an administrative assistant for several department heads, McNeill was authorized to use corporate credit cards to make corporate purchases, the attorney's office said in a statement.

The complaint charges her with abusing those privileges by making purchases for her personal use and charging them to the company, the statement said.

"In March 2004, the company contacted authorities after an internal investigation uncovered alleged financial improprieties by Angela McNeill," said PepsiCo spokeswoman Aurora Gonzalez.

While she was not at liberty to go into the details of the ongoing case, Gonzales added that PepsiCo turned their investigation over to the U.S. Attorney's office with the intent to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

McNeill, 36, is charged with using her corporate MasterCard to open up a personal gym membership at Bally's Total Fitness, pay for her children's day-care expenses at a YMCA and book a 50th birthday party cruise for her mother to which she invited 51 guests, the court statement said.

If convicted, the ex-Pepsi employee faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the counts of wire fraud and 20 years in prison on the mail fraud count, the U.S. Attorney's office said.