Source: US FBI
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Timothy Sean Edgar, 44, of Farmington, Utah, was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and money laundering after he admitted to engaging in a years-long scheme to embezzle approximately $1.7 million from his employer for his personal enrichment.
In addition to Edgar’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr. ordered that he serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,778,251 in restitution to the victim.
According to court documents and statements made at Edgar’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in 2021 and continuing until October 2024, Edgar defrauded his employer to obtain money and property by stealing and lying. As part of Edgar’s scheme, he fraudulently opened a sales channel through a popular online marketplace and used his employment credentials to access the vendor portal and redirect Automated Clearing House payments to his personal bank account. Edgar then made payments back to his employer using his personal credit card.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
“This case is an example of a defendant who used the victim’s trust against them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Mr. Edgar took advantage of a small business by building a strong relationship with his employer and gained access and control that he then used to perpetrate his fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate fraud in our communities, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute fraudsters and seek justice for victims of these crimes.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the North Salt Lake City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Jacob J. Strain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.