A Wyandotte man who quietly siphoned more than $166,000 from his former employer is headed to state prison. Jason Garza, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to a slate of embezzlement and related charges, faces a state prison term of two to 20 years and has been ordered to repay more than $500,000 to the state, his former company and its insurer.
Garza entered guilty pleas in January to ten felony counts, including embezzlement at multiple tiers, three counts of using a computer to commit a crime and four counts for failing to file income taxes, according to a press release from the Michigan Attorney General's Office. The plea capped a case that began with charges filed in June 2025 and moved into Wayne County's 3rd Circuit Court.
The sentence, imposed this month by a Wayne County judge, includes an order to pay full restitution to the Michigan Department of Treasury, Montway LLC and Travelers Insurance totaling more than $500,000, as reported by CBS Detroit. Prosecutors said Garza carried out the scheme while working at Montway's Canton Township operation in 2021 and 2022.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
State prosecutors allege that Garza dangled unauthorized discounts to customers if they paid him directly through peer-to-peer mobile payment apps, then kept the money instead of sending it to the company. Those allegations, along with the statutory counts he pleaded to, are detailed by the Michigan Attorney General's Office.
Investigation and prosecutors' reaction
The matter was referred to the Attorney General's office by the FBI, and investigators traced what prosecutors describe as a pattern of diverted payments and unreported income. "When employees steal from their employers, they jeopardize not only the victimized businesses but also the livelihoods of their coworkers," Attorney General Dana Nessel said, as reported by CBS Detroit. Under the plea terms, prosecutors sought a 24-month minimum prison term along with full restitution to make the victims whole.
Local context and what comes next
Hoodline previously covered Garza's arraignment when the initial charges were filed in June 2025 and the case moved into plea negotiations before this month's sentence; see our earlier report on the over $100K embezzlement charges. Garza also admitted to failing to file taxes on the diverted funds, and his restitution order will be collected through the courts as he begins serving the term ordered by the judge.
