WireFraud
Latest
Microsoft executive allegedly attempted to embezzle $1.5 million
Jeff Tran, Microsoft's former director of sports marketing and alliances, was charged with five counts of wire fraud this week for allegedly trying to embezzle $1.5 million from his former employer. He's also accused of stealing and selling more than 60 Super Bowl tickets belonging to Microsoft, pocketing over $200,000 in the process.
Fyre Festival founder arrested, charged with wire fraud
There has been one arrest following April's disastrous Fyre Festival event, as the Southern District of New York US Attorney's office announced the arrest of Fyre Media founder William McFarland. He's charged with wire fraud for allegedly lying to investors about how much money the company was making from artist bookings. According to Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr., "McFarland truly put on a show, misrepresenting the financial status of his businesses in order to rake in lucrative investment deals."
Accused Apple manager could be forced to return $1M in kickbacks
Back in August we learned of the arrest of Paul Shin Devine on charges of taking over $1 million in kickbacks from Apple suppliers. Since that time, prosecutors have been following the money trail and have now asked U.S. District Judge James Ware in San Jose, California to order the forfeiture of US$1 million in cash and assets. The government has frozen $950,000 in cash from six different bank accounts belonging to Devine. Devine was a global supply manager for Apple until his arrest and was accused of providing confidential information to suppliers before they negotiated contracts with the company. Prosecutors are still hanging on to Devine's computers as part of the investigation of the case. The indictment of Devine included 23 charges of wire fraud, wire-fraud conspiracy, and money laundering, each of which carries a potential 20 year prison sentence with a conviction. Devine has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and is currently out on bail.
Former Apple manager accused of hiding $125k in shoeboxes
Back when I was a kid, I kept my most valuable possessions, my baseball and basketball card collection, in a shoe box. Apparently, so too did former Apple employee Paul Devine. Devine is accused of wire fraud and conspiracy on the basis that he collected more than $2.5 million in kickbacks from Apple's suppliers. And during their investigation, officials found $125,000 stored away in shoe boxes at his home, as well as more than $20,000 worth of foreign currency. Prosecutors also allege that Devine may have other sources of cash. In Devine's position as a global supply manager at Apple, it's alleged that he was privy to information such as projected sales of Apple products, the cost to manufacture an Apple product, and the prices of bids from competing suppliers. Prosecutors allege that he leveraged this knowledge by providing it to those in the supply chain in return for kickbacks. The allegations against Devine are noteworthy, given Apple's penchant for secrecy. For instance, according to reports, Apple employees must test unreleased products in secret rooms under covered workstations, and are not allowed to follow other employees too closely. [via Macworld]
Apple supply manager arrested for wire fraud, money laundering
Ever wonder why -- after years of secrecy -- camera-ready iPod cases began rolling out? The answer could possibly be Apple supply manager Paul Shin Devine, who was just fingered by the FBI and IRS as a fraudulent, money laundering mole. Devine was arrested Friday for allegedly receiving kickbacks from six accessory suppliers in exchange for confidential information, which apparently gave them an edge in negotiating Apple contracts. "The alleged scheme used an elaborate chain of U.S. and foreign bank accounts and one front company to receive payments," reports the San Jose Mercury News, "and code words like 'sample' were used to refer to the payments so that Apple co-workers wouldn't become suspicious." Though we're not yet sure what specific confidential information might have been passed along and we doubt the indictment will say, a separate civil suit filed by Apple claims Devine accepted over $1 million in "payments, kickbacks and bribes" over the course of several years.
