A Charlotte, North Carolina man has owned up to a hefty case of embezzlement from his former St. Louis County employer, inflating his love life with the company's cash. Scott H. Foster, 48, a former mid-level executive, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud last Friday, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming.
Between January 2018 and December 2022, Foster crafted a deceitful love letter to his wallet. He played with the company's human resources systems, creating a sham employee profile for his paramour, as stated in the U.S. Department of Justice press release. His romantic interest was paid wages and benefits amounting to over $273,000 without doing much, if any, work for the firm. Foster found extra ways to treat himself and his friends to over $33,000 in personal travel, all on the corporate dime.
While love might be free, embezzlement is not. Foster's actions have set the date for his reckoning: May 22 is the scheduled sentencing day. Poetic justice or not, that's when he'll learn what his costly romantic endeavors will cost him in terms of legal consequences.
The investigation into Foster's fraudulent financial affairs was led by the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow spearheading the prosecution.
