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Press Release

Kingsland Man Pleads Guilty To Embezzling Over $1.2 Million From Employer

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Georgia

Brunswick, GA: James Jeffrey Hosea, 56, of Kingsland, Georgia, pleaded guilty last week before Chief United States District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in connection with a long-term embezzlement scheme he perpetrated upon his employer.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing, Hosea was employed by TDS Telecommunications Corp.  Over the course of nearly seven years, Hosea executed an embezzlement scheme whereby he created a fake vendor, falsified invoices from that fake vendor, and then submitted those phony invoices to his employer for electronic payment to a PayPal account.  Once the invoices were paid by his employer, Hosea would then transfer the money from the PayPal account to his personal bank accounts.  Hosea made over 800 fraudulent transactions.  As part of the plea agreement, Hosea consented to a judgment against himself in the amount of $1,230,634.21, which represents the sum stolen from his employer.

Hosea pled guilty to wire fraud.  He faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Hosea’s sentencing will be scheduled after the United States Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.  Hosea remains out on bond pending his sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney T. Shane Mayes is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Updated April 10, 2015