A former employee of an online car sales company has been sentenced to over 11 years in a federal prison after being convicted for embezzling more than $2 million from his employer. The 42-year-old Tacoma man, John Whisenant, was sentenced to a term of 142 months following a series of wire fraud offenses that financed a lifestyle featuring luxury cars and high-end travel, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.
After having previously pleaded guilty in March 2024, Whisenant decided to not willingly appear for his initial July sentencing and instead chose to go on the run. He eluded police temporarily, using tactics such as swapping out the SIM card in his phone to avoid detection, and was also found to support himself by trafficking methamphetamine and other substances. He was eventually apprehended by the FBI on August 14, 2024.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Lauren King described the repetitive nature of Whisenant's criminal history, stating that "a revolving door of crime and prison time" has characterized his life. Judge King emphasized the severe repercussions of his acts, asserting that the fraud had "a devastating impact" on the victim company, and further remarked, "Your actions have destroyed your credibility before this court," as mentioned in the press release.
Whisenant's elaborate scheme involved making 57 unauthorized wire transfers from the company's accounts into his own over two years. He had access to bank accounts and financial records due to his position within the company – a position he used to funnel funds for personal extravagances like Porsches, Mercedes, and even $23,000 airline tickets to Paris. Further complicating the case was Whisenant's attempt to unfairly lay the blame on the company CEO when first confronted by FBI authorities, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington.
This incident marks Whisenant's second federal fraud conviction. He had been previously sentenced for wire fraud in 2017 and has a history of various state court convictions for credit card and check fraud dating back over two decades. In addition to his prison sentence, Whisenant has agreed to make full restitution of $2,084,799. Allowing a full-circle conclusion to a prolific career of deceit and theft, the case was spearheaded by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite.
