Former Chief Warrant Officer Sentenced To Prison For Government Theft

Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell sentenced Sebastian Stewart Oyegun, II (33) today to 30 months in federal prison for theft of government property. Oyegun was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,205,304.05. The court also forfeited a 2011 Infiniti QX56, a 2011 Dodge Charger, a 2011 Spyder Roadster motorcycle, approximately $170,000 in cash, and more than $250,000 that Oyegun had deposited in various bank accounts. Oyegun pleaded guilty on July 2, 2012.

According to his plea agreement, between 2009 and 2011, while employed as a Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Army Active Guard Reserve, Oyegun made more than $10 million in unauthorized purchases. Oyegun purchased high-end engineering equipment, computer equipment and power tools, and charged them to the United States Army. The purchases were made over the Internet using the General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage System website and were shipped to various addresses throughout the United States. Oyegun manipulated the purchasing system by fraudulently creating a phony user ID and password, providing bogus points of contact and fake approving officials, and adding multiple shipping addresses. The theft was discovered after an internal audit conducted by the United States Army revealed that Oyegun had used an accounting code from a unit he was previously assigned to in order to make the on-line purchases. Oyegun sold the items for 10% to 20% of their retail value at local swap meets, on Craigslist and to third parties. As part of his plea agreement, Oyegun agreed to resign from the Army and cooperate in the investigation against others involved in the theft of the stolen goods.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Army Criminal Investigative Command, the Office of Inspector General for the General Services Administration, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel W. Eckhart.