An Anderson accountant who went on a nearly two-year embezzling spree has been sentenced to over three years in prison for wire fraud, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Nathaniel Wills, 34, leveraged his position as an accountant and Director of Administration to illegally transfer close to $1 million from his employer's accounts to his own, for which he has been ordered to serve 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and pay $877,507 in restitution.
Throughout his employment, Wills managed to embezzle approximately $952,237.06 through 120 fraudulent transactions, beginning in August 2020 and ending in February 2022, relying on his entrusted roles which included writing and signing checks, making electronic payments, and maintaining accounting ledgers, he abused the trust placed in him by his employer to siphon funds into his personal bank accounts, these ill-gotten gains were used to cover personal debts and indulge in online gambling activities. Wills attempted to conceal his actions by falsifying company records, including inventory logs, and voiding checks, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.
"For a year and a half, this defendant repaid the trust of his employer with deceit and theft, helping himself to nearly one million dollars and cooking the books to hide the evidence," stated Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, his assessment of Wills' actions hinting at the deeper betrayal of trust and potential damage to the company and its employees. Myers expressed his commitment to prosecuting those who commit financial crimes with the weight of federal law.
"Anyone who believes they can steal without consequence will find out the FBI aggressively pursues those who exploit their positions of trust for personal gain to ensure they are held accountable," putting a clear marker on the ground for similarly positioned professionals who might step over the line drawn by law. The case was brought to a close by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Wood and Tiffany J. Preston, securing the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon, as reported by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
