And I Only Thought It Was George Washington Who Chopped Down the Cherry Trees!

You gotta be careful when you enter the national forests in this country…cause the rules are – only George Washington can chop down a cherry tree.

O.K. – being a bit serious…here’s one that I know won’t make national attention – hence it deserves a mention on this blog just for posterity.

United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, May 5, 2008, that Joseph Michael Harvey, a resident of Ridgway, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of theft of government property. 

WHAT DID HE TAKE YOU MIGHT ASK?

Harvey, age 40, pleaded guilty to one count and Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini advised the court that Harvey and another co‑defendant stole property belonging to the United States, by cutting down and removing approximately 11 black cherry trees from the Allegheny National Forest, having a value in excess of $1,000.00.

NOW WHAT THE HECK WOULD ANYONE WANT WITH 11 DEAD BLACK CHERRY TREES?

Judge McLaughlin scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.  The law provides for a total sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Wow…as a white collar crime speaker, I’ve got to mark this date on my calendar just to see what kind of sentence is issued for a tree chopper.

Credit Card Fraud Earns Julia N. Bell Prison and Substantial Restitution! Comments by Fraud Speaker Chuck Gallagher

Wow…every choice has a consequence.  Every presentation I make that statement is made.  And, sure enough it is true!

Take, for example, Julia N. Bell.  Seems that she went shopping, took vacations, and ate in restaurants.  She did what normal people do every day.  The only difference is that she did all of these things using the credit card of the company she worked for. 

Now, most would think that when the bill came it, such a simple fraud would be caught.  But alas…no.  Seems that Bell was the office manager.  So, not only did she use the card for her personal gain, but she paid the card from the company’s funds that she controlled.

Guess she thought as long as she controlled it…no one would notice.

Now in order for most white collar crimes to exist there has to be three things: (1) need; (2) opportunity and (3) rationalization.  While I can’t speak to #1 or #3 – the clear lack of internal controls allowed for #2 to work in Bell’s favor.  As a white collar crime and fraud speaker, more times than not it is #2 that has the greatest potential to either allow or prevent white collar crime.

In Bell’s case, she was sentenced in federal court for wire fraud.    United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Bell to 21 months in prison and ordered her to pay more than $140,000.00 in restitution.

If you know Julia N. Bell, feel free to comment.  My guess is that she is a nice lady who got caught up in her own illusion.  Now she will find that nothing she bought will be worth the time she will spend in prison.

White Collar Crime Speaker – Chuck Gallagher - signing off…