A former Benicia resident has been slapped with a 41-month prison sentence after milking his employer of more than $3.2 million, according to a recent statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Euan David MacGregor, 54, now of Iowa City, Iowa, entered the limelight of law enforcement after his lucrative scheme, unwound by the investigation efforts of the FBI, revealed an intricate web of deceit spun over several years.
Acknowledging MacGregor's handiwork, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith outlined that between November 2014 and January 2020, the former chief administrative officer engaged in fraudulent conduct that included the creation of a shell company to siphon funds and the projection of illusory bookkeeping services. His ploy, netting him diverted checks and duped payments for non-existent services, funded a range of personal indulgences from mortgage to travel expenses. In addition to his prison term, Senior Judge John A. Mendez decreed 36 months of supervised release and a hefty restitution sum to the tune of over $3 million, aimed at correcting the financial imbalance MacGregor's actions caused.
Detailing the deceit, the authorities explained how MacGregor lured funds into his grasp. He established a shell corporation that bore a resemblance in name to his employer's and fraudulently redirected at least 122 checks intended for his employer into bank accounts under his control. Additionally, Essential Business Services, a fictitious entity touted as an outsourced bookkeeping service, was merely another puppet in MacGregor's ensemble, facilitating the extraction of thousands from his employer under pretenses. "MacGregor used the money he fraudulently obtained to pay for personal expenses for him and his family, including mortgage payments, the payment of credit cards, educational expenses, travel, and the purchase or lease of vehicles," according to the court documents furnished by the U.S. Attorney's office.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
