Systems Engineer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Houma-Based Company

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on, January 4, 2024, SCOTT P. RICHARD, age 47, of Raceland, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon to  access device fraud in relation to his theft from his former employer, a Houma-based company identified in court records as “Company A”.  

According to those records, RICHARD was a systems engineer for Company A, entrusted with the specification, purchase, installation, and support of equipment and systems used by the company’s technology infrastructure. RICHARD admitted to fraudulently using the corporate credit card issued to him by Company A for his own personal benefit. RICHARD embezzled  money from his employer by creating false invoices for a shell company he controlled, and using his corporate card to make fraudulent purchases from the shell company. RICHARD also made unauthorized purchases of equipment, for his own personal use, with his corporate card. From January 1, 2012 through September 27, 2021, RICHARD fraudulently diverted $526,569.42 from Company A to himself.

RICHARD faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Judge Fallon set RICHARD’s sentencing for April 11, 2024.