Former OSI Restaurant Partners Employee Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

TAMPA, FL—U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Owen R. Galvin to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court also ordered Galvin to forfeit $1,834,367.31, which constitutes the proceeds from the offense. Galvin pled guilty to the charge on November 4, 2010.

According to court documents, Galvin and his coconspirators stole money from their employer, OSI, by generating false and fraudulent invoices that caused OSI and/or its subsidiary company, PropCo, to wire funds to bank accounts opened in the names of shell companies and under the control of the conspirators. Galvin and his coconspirators caused OSI to make 13 fraudulent wire transfers totaling $1,919,417. Galvin knowingly and willfully participated in the scheme by setting up shell companies and bank accounts, creating false documentation to support the fraudulent wire transfers, and sharing in the proceeds of the fraud.

Coconspirator Mark Watson pled guilty to the same offense on November 18, 2010, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2011. Coconspirator Jeremy Schweickert, who participated in five of the 13 fraudulent wires totaling approximately $800,000, was sentenced to 27 months' incarceration on December 3, 2010. This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.