A former account manager at a high-end Beverly Hills business management and tax firm is accused of quietly draining a celebrity client’s accounts, then disappearing overseas.
Federal prosecutors say 38-year-old Frank Musoke of Woodland Hills was charged Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court with allegedly embezzling more than $2 million from a long-time celebrity client. Authorities allege Musoke, who holds dual U.S.-Ugandan citizenship, is believed to have fled to Uganda.
What Prosecutors Allege
An indictment unsealed Wednesday charges Musoke with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of tax evasion. Prosecutors say he used his access to a client’s financial accounts to make unauthorized withdrawals and personal purchases.
According to the indictment, between December 2019 and June 2023 Musoke obtained debit cards and PINs tied to the client’s business account and withdrew roughly $1.73 million in cash. Prosecutors also allege he racked up $165,270 in Amazon charges, $191,543 in travel and more than $160,000 in other personal expenses, all without the client’s knowledge or consent.
The Beverly Hills firm, identified in court papers only as “Company A,” fired Musoke in July 2023 after uncovering the alleged scheme, according to MyNewsLA.
Penalties And Legal Context
If convicted, Musoke faces serious time. Each wire fraud count carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, while each tax evasion count can carry up to five years. The penalties are set out in the U.S. Code for wire fraud and the U.S. Code for tax evasion.
How Prosecutors Say The Scheme Unfolded
Prosecutors say Musoke’s job was to help manage investments, taxes and day-to-day finances for high-net-worth clients at the Beverly Hills firm. That role allegedly gave him the access he needed to obtain and misuse the client’s debit card information.
The alleged victim, identified in court papers only as “Individual A,” is described as a well-known television host and producer who had been a client of the firm for nearly 20 years. According to the indictment, Musoke failed to report roughly $1.76 million in embezzled income on federal tax returns filed between May 2021 and May 2023, instead filing what prosecutors call false returns that concealed the money, as reported by MyNewsLA.
Fugitive Status And Extradition
Prosecutors say Musoke left for Uganda after his termination and has not been publicly located. Federal authorities allege he is a dual U.S.-Ugandan citizen, a detail that could make any eventual extradition effort more complicated.
The Justice Department has pursued overseas defendants in similar accounting fraud cases before. In 2019, for example, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles secured the extradition of a former accounting manager from Costa Rica on embezzlement charges, illustrating how federal prosecutors may try to bring overseas suspects back to face trial in the United States, according to a Justice Department release.
Next Steps
The case remains pending in federal court. Prosecutors have not announced a trial date, and Musoke’s whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed.
As with any criminal case, the indictment contains only allegations, and Musoke is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
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