Press Releases
FORMER SHELL OIL EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO 18 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT FOR INCOME TAX EVASION AND MAIL FRAUD
May 13, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GREGORY L. COURTNEY, age 50, formerly a resident of Mandeville, Louisiana, was sentenced today in federal court by U. S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt to eighteen (18) months imprisonment for income tax evasion and mail fraud, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. Additionally, Judge Engelhardt ordered that the defendant pay restitution in the amount of $486.771 to the Internal Revenue Service, and $1,335,540 to Shell Oil, as well as be placed on three (3) years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release.
According to court documents, COURTNEY, while employed as an engineer for Shell Deepwater Development, COURTNEY, in violation of Shell policy, acquired control of Mercury Equipment and Services, Inc., a Shell vendor. COURTNEY then caused Mercury to invoice Shell for a fraudulent maintenance contract for storage boxes on offshore oil rigs. Court documents indicated that little if any maintenance was performed. COURTNEY diverted more than $1 million to his personal use from the Mercury maintenance contract. The checks were mailed to Mercury by Shell. COURTNEY, whose tax liability exceeded $400,000.00, failed to report the Mercury income to the IRS for the tax years 2001, 2002, and 2003.
Michael J. De Palma, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation stated :
"Quite often crimes of greed include more than concealing income from the IRS. This investigation is a prime example of how Special Agents of IRS Criminal Investigation work with the FBI and the United States Attorney's Office to bring individuals involved in fraud and conspiracy to justice. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to stop those individuals who scheme and conspire with each other to benefit themselves to the detriment of other citizens and their government."
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. of the Financial Crimes Unit.
