Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Idaho Man Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $280,000

From the Idaho State Journal on 12/3/2014:

Matthew Lewis Udy, 45, of Idaho Falls, pleaded guilty today to unauthorized use of an access device involved in the theft of more than $280,000 from his employer, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced Tuesday. 

According to the plea agreement, Udy was hired in December of 2009 in Idaho Falls as a business and financial manager and was entrusted to handle his employer’s personal investments, rental properties and other financial matters.  


 
From April 2011 through September 2013, Udy stole $150,346.52 from his employer related to his employer’s rental properties. During the same time period, Udy fraudulently used five credit card accounts belonging to his employer, using the accounts to make unauthorized personal purchases. Udy used the accounts to receive $130,189 in payments or other things of value, including gift cards and hotel rooms.

When interviewed by law enforcement, Udy admitted to disguising fraudulent credit card transactions by mirroring legitimate transactions and only paying the accounts with his employer’s funds.

The charge of unauthorized use of an access device is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

Sentencing is set for Feb. 17, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.

Read the whole story here.


Update (3/19/2015):  Udy was sentenced to 27 months in prison:

Matthew Lewis Udy, 45, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unauthorized use of an access device, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.     

U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Udy to pay $275,488 restitution to his victims. Udy pleaded guilty on Dec. 2.
                                                                                   
According to the plea agreement, Udy was hired in December 2009 in Idaho Falls as a business and financial manager, and was entrusted to handle his employer’s personal investments, rental properties, and other financial matters. From April 2011 through September 2013, Udy stole $150,346 from his employer related to his employer’s rental properties.

Also, in the same period, Udy fraudulently used five credit-card accounts belonging to his employer to make unauthorized personal purchases.
 
Udy used the accounts to receive $130,189 in payments or other things of value, including gift cards and hotel rooms.
 
When interviewed by law enforcement, Udy admitted to disguising fraudulent credit-card transactions by mirroring legitimate transactions and only paying the accounts with his employer’s funds. The case was investigated by the Idaho Falls Police Department and the United States Secret Service.

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