Wayne Man Sentenced in Connection with Scheme to Defraud Huntington Small Business
Shawn Osburn Created Falsified Work Orders That were Used to Steal More Than $10,000 in Supplies from Huntington-Based Justice Glass and Supply Co.
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 14, 2013 |
CHARLESTON, WV—A Wayne County man who defrauded a Huntington-based small business of more than $10,000 in supplies was sentenced today to five years’ probation, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Shawn Osburn, 44, previously pleaded guilty in April to wire fraud. Osburn, a former employee for Huntington-based residential window supplier Justice Glass and Supply Company (Justice Glass), prepared and submitted false work orders for supplies at various times during his employment with Justice Glass that began in 2008 and continued through October 2010.
During the scheme, Osburn prepared work orders that contained false information and submitted the orders, generally by using telephone and fax, to suppliers. After receiving the products from the company’s supplier, Osburn stole the items and later sold them for cash.
Osburn told investigators that the profits in which he had obtained as a result of the fraudulent work orders were not given to Justice Glass. Osburn illegally sold a total of at least $13,000 in stolen supplies.
The court ordered Osburn to pay full restitution, with interest, to Justice Glass in the amount of $260 each month.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Wright and Meredith George Thomas handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.
This case was brought as part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s initiative to prosecute crimes against small businesses. In September 2010, U.S. Attorney Goodwin created and launched a comprehensive plan to protect small businesses and non-profit agencies from fraud and abuse. Goodwin has redoubled efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute dishonest employees and other criminals who defraud or embezzle from small businesses.
The Crimes Against Small Business Initiative strives to protect businesses and nonprofit organizations by working in partnership with the business community, along with state and local law enforcement officials, to ensure that occurrences of fraud, embezzlement, scams, and other crimes targeting small businesses are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.