Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Embezzling Over $1 Million from Grant County Business

MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Curtis Tarver, 55, Spring Grove, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge James Peterson to three years in prison for wire fraud.  The wire fraud charge stems from Tarver’s embezzlement from Rapid Die and Molding Company (“RDM”) in Cassville, Wisconsin, and its sister company Hawley Products in Paducah, Kentucky.  Tarver pleaded guilty to this charge on August 20, 2019.

Tarver worked for RDM and was eventually promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for RDM and Hawley Products (“the companies”).  As CFO, Tarver was responsible for handling all financial matters for the companies, including, but not limited to, disbursing payments, depositing and transferring funds, and balancing bank accounts.  In this role, Tarver had access to and utilized a variety of financial accounts belonging to the companies, including bank accounts, commercial credit accounts, and PayPal.

The investigation revealed that from 2006 until January of 2018, Tarver devised and participated in a scheme to embezzle money from the companies.  Tarver embezzled money from the companies in a variety of ways, including:  1) using the companies’ credit cards to make personal purchases; 2) using the companies’ checks for personal purchases; 3) issuing the companies’ checks to himself; 4) transferring the companies’ funds to his personal bank accounts using PayPal; 5) direct transfers from the companies’ bank accounts to his personal bank accounts.  For example, on November 30, 2015, Tarver transferred $9,200 from RDM’s PayPal account to his personal PayPal account.  Tarver subsequently transferred the $9,200 to his personal account at Navy Federal Credit Union.

The investigation further revealed that Tarver used the embezzled funds for a variety of personal expenditures, including, but not limited to, home improvements, recreational vehicles, travel, and dining.  Tarver also provided the embezzled funds directly to other people as gifts or loans.  In total, Tarver embezzled over $1,023,649.44 from the companies.