Ovid Timothy Hughes Gets Prison Sentence - Former Employee Steals From Company!

As a business ethics speaker, it is interesting to observe how many people believe that theft from their company is somehow O.K.! What’s even more interesting is the fact that, in most cases, they don’t think they’ll be caught.

It takes three things to create a fraud: (1) need; (2) opportunity and (3) rationalization. Seems that Ovid Timothy Hughes fell into the trap of theft for which there is always a consequence.

Ovid Timothy Hughes of Madison, Tennessee was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison for committing mail fraud. (By the way, wire and mail fraud seem to be the issues that the government uses today to gain an easy conviction)

Hughes previously worked for a well-known computer company. Shortly after the company terminated his employment, Defendant came to possess certain account and credit-card information of the company’s customers. From November 2006 to September 2007, Defendant fraudulently used that account and credit-card information to purchase thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment and other items for his personal benefit. Defendant committed his crime by posing, over the internet and in e-mails, as a representative of the companies whose account information he obtained. He would then order merchandise and have it shipped to his apartment, but have the bill for that merchandise sent to the company’s real address with the intent that the company would pay the charges without realizing the fraud.

Hughes scheme was extensive: During an 11-month period, Defendant used at least nine different account or credit-card numbers, to place over 70 different orders, with approximately ten different merchants. In addition to computers, Defendant also ordered various types of high-end electronic equipment and designer clothing. To conceal his fraud, he assumed several different false identities, created e-mail accounts in the names of those false identities, and made up several fictional scenarios to make his orders appear legitimate when he communicated with merchants’ sales representatives. Ultimately, Defendant caused or attempted to cause over $78,000 in loss, an amount later offset by the approximately $25,000 worth of computer equipment that U.S. Secret Service agents were able to recover at Defendant’s apartment at the time of his arrest.

Judge Trauger found the length and extent of Defendant’s fraudulent conduct to merit a 12-month prison sentence. Defendant was also ordered to pay over $29,000 in restitution to the victims for the merchandise not recovered and to remain on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. As noted by the Court, Defendant’s conduct occurred over nearly a year’s time, involved several very intentional steps on his part, and compromised “inside” information of his former employer. Accordingly, the Court determined that a significant prison sentence was necessary to reflect the seriousness of the offense.

“So-called ‘white-collar’ crimes are just that – crimes. And the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively prosecuting such crimes whenever and wherever they occur in the Middle District of Tennessee,” said U.S. Attorney Edward Yarbrough. “This case is yet another example of how criminals use the anonymity of the internet and e-mail, along with false identities and deception, to commit frauds. But it also demonstrates the hard work and skill of the federal agents who combat those frauds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to fully support the law-enforcement agents and agencies who help protect innocent fraud victims and bring those who target them to justice.”

Every choice has a consequence. While Hughes will find that the cost of the choices he made is far greater than the short term benefit he received, the “un-named computer company” will likely change their internal controls so that it will be more difficult to gain sensitive information.

White collar and business ethics speaker, Chuck Gallagher, signing off…

Social Security Fraud Could Earn 27 Year Old Shawn R. Johnson Prison Time!

So you think you can pull the wool over the eyes of the government? Not so fast. Every choice has a consequence and one of the things that some of us learn the hard way is - what you do in the dark will be brought to the light. In other words, if you do something that is wrong it will be discovered.

You reap what you sow! I know. I sowed bad seeds and reaped the consequences. And now it seems that the same may be true for a young 27 year old.

Shawn R. Johnson, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Social Security Fraud.

The one-count indictment named Shawn R. Johnson, age 27.

According to the indictment, Johnson failed to disclose to the Social Security Administration employment with and earned income from Polito Custom Carpet, located in Hopwood, Pennsylvania, and that such events affected his continued right to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits.

COMMENT: Now I can assure my readers that the minor benefit that Johnson received is not worth the cost he will pay. Facing up to 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, Johnson will soon understand that cost of wrong choices is substantial.

Every choice has a consequence is a comment I make in most presentations. As a white collar crime speaker, I speak from first hand experience about the truth about consequences. Reality is - no one escapes the consequences of their choices. While Johnson may have enjoyed the money for a time and avoided the consequences - they did not avoid the consequences all together. Prison is no fun and Johnson is facing several years plus substantial restitution for this conviction. Likely he will serve time and that will prove to be a dramatic change from his prior activities. You do reap what you sow.

White Collar Crime Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

William Don Woods - 87 Month in Prison for Child Porn on His iPod!

EVERY CHOICE HAS A CONSEQUENCE. You cannot hide - no matter how hard you try - those choices and actions you take that are wrong - morally, ethically or legally.

So imagine, you have an inclination toward Child Porn. You down load it from your computer. You leave your ipod in your car or at a friend’s house (forgetting you’ve got child porn on it). Next thing you know the police are at your door. You’re arrested. Your friend - repulsed by child porn - turns you in. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

William Don Woods, age 31, of Claremore, was sentenced to prison in federal court in Tulsa on April 29 for having images of child pornography on his iPod.

An indictment was issued and revealed the details of the pornography contained on the iPod, including approximately 10 pornographic photos depicting 5-, 6-, 8-, 12- and 13-year-old children involved in sexual acts. There was also more than one video file with at least one depicting a 10-year-old girl involved in sexual acts. - source The Claremore Daily Progress

Chief U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Woods to over seven years (87 months) imprisonment for the crime of Possession of Child Pornography. On August 25, 2007, an acquaintance found Wood’s iPod and turned it over to Claremore police. It contained multiple pictures and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit acts with adults and with other children. The material had been obtained from peer-to-peer file sharing sites on the Internet. Woods was charged in a federal indictment in November 2007 and he pled
guilty on January 18.

The federal indictment in this case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative and the continuing effort to target individuals who possess and/or distribute child pornography. The Department launched Project Safe Childhood in February 2006 as a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and helps identify and assist the victims of these atrocious
crimes.

COMMENT: Project Safe Childhood is producing significant dividends. Many have been convicted for child porn. What makes it easy to obtain child porn also makes it easy to catch. Recently in News Busters the following was reported:

Famed left-wing radio personality Bernie Ward of San Francisco, a former priest who had one of the loudest and most consistently anti-George W. Bush voices in the entire nation, was found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography on Friday and will serve at least five years in prison. ward tried to argue that he was “doing research” on child pornography, but as the San Francisco Chronicle reported:

His hopes of maintaining a defense based on a constitutional right to research taboo subjects appeared to be weakened further when police in Oakdale (Stanislaus County) released transcripts in February of a series of online sex chats between Ward and a dominatrix in December 2004 and January 2005. The transcripts quote Ward as fantasizing about naked children with no apparent reference to any subject he was researching. Police said he had sent photos to the woman that showed children engaged in sexual activity.

White Collar Crime Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

Aryeh Schottenstein and Shawn A. Griffin Plead Guilty! And the Ohio Mortgage Fraud Guilty Pleas Keep on Coming…

As a mortgage fraud speaker, I observe what’s taking place in the mortgage fraud arena, but I have to say, the legal eagles in Ohio are working the mortgage fraud angles hard…

Two more Columbus-area people indicted as part of a mortgage fraud scheme that secured more than $7 million in mortgage loans pleaded guilty in United States District Court. Aryeh Schottenstein, age 34, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering, and Shawn A. Griffin, age 38, also of Columbus, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Schottenstein and Griffin were indicted along with Donald F. Green, Jeffrey Lieberman and George “Terry” Jordan for a mortgage fraud scheme in central Ohio in 2003 and 2004. COMMENT: It seems that at the height of easy money for mortgages - mortgage fraud was rising as well. See what these folks did below as their crime is becoming a common pattern.

According to statements of facts filed with Schottenstein’s and Griffin’s pleas, Schottenstein and Lieberman owned a company called Parkview Bank. One of Parkview’s business purposes was to locate financing for real estate investors seeking to buy and renovate houses in Columbus. Parkview needed a source for the financing for this venture. In 2003, Schottenstein and Lieberman met with the managing partners for Stillwater Asset Backed Fund to convince them to provide the funding. They were successful.

Parkview and Stillwater entered into an agreement whereby Stillwater would provide the funding for Parkview’s deals. Rather than abide by the agreement and locate legitimate investors, Schottenstein used Griffin to recruit straw-buyers to pose as real estate investors. Using straw-buyers was quicker and easier than locating legitimate real estate investors thereby making it easier to generate more loan origination fees. The straw-buyers were told by Griffin they did not need to renovate the houses or make monthly interest payments. Griffin assured them he would take care of all the details.

COMMENT: Two things stand out - (1) impatience with legitimate business became the foundation of the fraud; and (2) the “straw buyers” were motivated by quick money in order to participate in the scam.

Griffin also recruited straw buyers in 2002 and 2003 for Jeff Pearson, now deceased. Pearson bought dozens of low-income distressed houses in Columbus for amounts at or near their fair market value. The houses were in need of renovation. Very little if any renovation was done to the houses. The houses were sold to Griffin’s straw-buyers for two to three times the amounts Pearson had paid only a few weeks or months earlier. Despite having good credit, the straw-buyers usually had little income. At the closing on the straw-buyers’ purchases of the houses, the title companies issued large checks payable to Pearson as proceeds from the sales.

Green pleaded guilty on April 11. Lieberman and Jordan pleaded guilty on April 24. All are free pending sentencing. Judge Marbley will set a date for sentencing. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and the money laundering charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

According to the Columbus Dispatch a scheme that investigators say bilked millions from banks, lenders and investors was so involved that there were too many fraudulent home purchases to list in the 36-page federal indictment.

Those indicted originally were:

Donald F. Green, 48, of Columbus, real-estate investor

Shawn A. Griffin, 37, of Cleveland, real-estate investor

Aryeh M. Schottenstein, 33, of Oak Park, Mich., real-estate investor

Jeffrey M. Lieberman, 56, of Bexley, real-estate investor

George T. “Terry” Jordan, 50, of Canal Winchester, real-estate agent

Dwayne L. Carter, 37, of Columbus, loan officer

Jonathan L. Boyd, 38, of Columbus, loan officer

Kenyatta Johnson, 37, of Michigan, loan officer

James Darneil Gaither, 37, appraiser

Every choice has a consequence. As a white collar crime and mortgage fraud speaker, I speak from first hand experience about the truth about consequences. Reality is - no one escapes the consequences of their choices. While Schottenstein and Griffin may have enjoyed the money for a time and avoided the consequences - they did not avoid the consequences all together. Prison is no fun and both are facing several years plus substantial restitution for this conviction. Likely they will serve time and that will prove to be a dramatic change from their prior activities. You do reap what you sow.

If you were a victim…please share your experience so other may benefit.

Mortgage Fraud Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

Mortgage Fraud Speaker Chuck Gallagher comments: Darrius C. Alati Charged with Bank Fraud!

As time passes it has become clear that many people have come to the wrong conclusion that creativity in financing is somehow legal. It is not! Just today I heard a radio show where they still talked about creative financing through means that others have found themselves on the back end of a conviction. And in this entry we have another Ohio indictment for bank or mortgage fraud.

Darrius C. Alati, age 38, who resides in Akron, Ohio was indicted. The information alleges that Darrius C. Alati committed three counts of bank fraud.

According to the indictment, Alati was a property broker who fabricated a false corporate resolution which was presented to the subject title company to obtain checks drawn on Fifth Third Bank’s escrow account related to monies flowing from the sale of homes in Akron, Ohio. Alati had the title company divide the monies in to a few checks and Alati forwarded only one of the checks to the seller, James Carter. Carter was unaware that Alati withheld these checks arising from the transactions. In the last instance of the scheme, Alati advised representatives of the title company that he would deliver a $70,000 check drawn on the Fifth Third escrow account to Carter. However, Alati deposited said check into own business account for his personal use.

COMMENTS: From time to time I have been approached at presentations I make on mortgage fraud issues by people who got caught up in a scheme unaware. Those situations are unfortunate. However, in this case, it seems clear that the actions of Alati were thought out and not the result of a simple mistake. Frankly, rarely have I found that mortgage fraud was occurred as the result of a misunderstanding.

Alati, if convicted, will likely spend time in federal prison. More and more the courts are losing patience with the proliferation of mortgage fraud. As the banking system writes off record losses due to the weakness in the subprime market, the punishment for mortgage fraud crimes will likely become more severe (within the federal sentencing guidelines).

Every choice has a consequence. As a mortgage fraud speaker, I believe that we are just at the beginning of a wave of prosecutions for mortgage fraud.

Theft of Dead Mothers VA Benefits Earns Lyndell Simmons 5 Years in Prison!

And who says that every choice has no consequence? Bull! No matter what you do, the choices you make today will have a profound impact on you tomorrow and in the future.

A Lubbock man, Lyndell Simmons,age 46, who pled guilty in January to theft of government money or property, was sentenced to 60 months (five years) in prison and ordered to pay $21,529 restitution to the Department of Veterans Administration (VA).

According to documents filed in Court, Louise Simmons, Lyndell Simmons’ mother, was a beneficiary of VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Benefits. In March 2007, an investigation was initiated by the VA, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division, after a complaint alleged that Ms. Simmons had not returned a marital status questionnaire. An investigation revealed that Ms. Simmons died on November 10, 2004.

STOP…She died in 2004? Well, how in the world did a dead woman cash checks? That is the question that began Simmons undoing!

Further investigation revealed that from approximately December 1, 2004 to March 1, 2007, Lyndell Simmons cashed approximately 22 VA benefits checks made payable to his mother, forging endorsements on each check. He cashed the checks and used the money for his own personal use.

NOTICE: Often it is not the magnitude of the crime and causes the time. In this case it seems the judge considered in the sentence not only the amount stolen, but the form the crime took. Stealing from the government your dead mothers benefits is cold.

White Collar Crime speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

Prison Chaplain Sentenced to Prison - Vincent Inametti Sentenced to 48 Months for Sexual Abuse!

It’s not uncommon to hear of sexual abuse in prison. What is uncommon is to find that the abuse was at the hand of a Catholic priest - a prison chaplain no less!

Vincent Inametti, a Roman Catholic priest, who worked as a chaplain at Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell in Fort Worth, was sentenced to 48 months in prison. Inametti, 48, who pled guilty in November to two counts of sexual abuse of a ward, was also ordered to pay a $3000 fine.

Inametti is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was ordained in his native country, Nigeria. He was immediately remanded into custody to begin serving his sentence.

The Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, (DOJ-OIG) received a complaint in March 2007 that Inametti was sexually involved with a particular inmate, “D.D.” Subsequent investigation by DOJ-OIG agents revealed that Inametti was also sexually involved with another inmate, “E.R.” Both inmates were serving federal prison sentences for drug distribution conspiracy convictions.

“D.D.” became acquainted with Inametti in August 2004 when she began attending Catholic services, joining the choir and participating in Bible study classes at FMC Carswell. “E.R.” became acquainted with Inametti a few months later, in November 2004, as a result of her assignment as a clerk for the Religious Services Department at FMC Carswell.

Inametti admitted that in February 2006, he directed “D.D.” to the chapel library, where he engaged in a sexual act with her. He further admitted that in June or July 2006, he summoned “E.R.” to a classroom in the chapel where he engaged in a sexual act with her.

According to an article in the Dallas Morning News,

His Fort Worth attorney, Michael Heiskell, said the sexual liaisons between Mr. Inametti and the two women were consensual, and he expressed hope for mercy from the court.

“Unfortunately, it was the wrong place and the wrong time,” Mr. Heiskell said. “We hope the court will judge him on the entire good work in his life as opposed to a lapse in judgment.”

But Tahira Khan Merritt, a Dallas attorney who represented one of the plaintiffs in the case, disputed the contention that the relationships were consensual. Mr. Inametti once threatened to kill her client if she told anyone about the abuse, she said, and the other plaintiff has filed a complaint with the federal prison system over the abuse.

“He was in a supervisory role over them,” Ms. Merritt said. “That implies they cannot consent to sexual acts when they’re wards of the state.”

Mr. Inametti, who was ordained in 1986 in his native Nigeria, served as a parish priest at Our Mother of Mercy Church in Fort Worth from 1991 to 1996, said Pat Svacina, a spokesman for the Diocese of Fort Worth.

After a sabbatical, Mr. Inametti returned to the diocese in 1999 and served in mission churches in the Ranger, Texas, area for about a year before he went to work for the prison system.

Every choice has a consequence. In this case Inametti is facing the consequences of his actions. The sad part is, like most crimes, his choices and the consequences that follow overshadow the good that he might have done as a priest up to that time.

Perhaps his time in prison will give him the chance to do some good in ways that he could not have done as an outsider - even as a chaplain.

Business Ethics Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

Mortgage Fraud Alive and Well in Ohio! Steven C. Gittinger Pleads Guilty to Mortgage Fraud Scheme Role

Either there is something in the water in Ohio when it comes to Mortgage Fraud - or - the US Attorney and others involved in law enforcement are serious about this wave of white collar crime. Either way, it seems that Ohio is talking a leading role in rooting out those involved in Mortgage Fraud.

Another Mortgage Fraud casualty is Steven C. Gittinger, who at age 50, pleaded guilty in United States District Court to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of money laundering for his participation in a mortgage fraud scheme.

According to a statement of facts filed with his guilty plea, Gittinger was a principal of Classic Title Agency, Inc. and helped close real estate sales. Between June 2003 and 2005, Gittinger received business and made money for performing closings of real estate sales. In 2003, Gittinger made various fraudulent representations on closing documents in which misrepresentations were made, then forwarded to financial institutions which funded loans for the property.

Gittinger agrees that for the purpose of the Sentencing Guidelines the amount of loss attributable to him is more than $400,000.00 but less than $1,000,000.00. Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud carries a maximum penalty of not more than thirty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000 (or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss of the victim. Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of not more than ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 (or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss of the victim.

Since I jokingly mentioned Ohio as a hot spot…I decided as this was being written to verify if I was dreaming or has Ohio become a mortgage fraud “hot spot?” Interestingly enough with little effort the following was found on the FBI’s web site under mortgage fraud.

• Analysis of available law enforcement and industry resources indicates that the top ten mortgage fraud areas are California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. Other areas significantly affected by mortgage fraud include Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. There is a strong correlation between mortgage fraud and loans which result in default and foreclosure.
• Recent statistics suggest that escalating foreclosures provide criminals with the opportunity to exploit and defraud vulnerable homeowners seeking financial guidance. Perpetrators are exploiting the home equity line of credit (HELOC) application process to conduct mortgage fraud, check fraud, and potentially money laundering-related activity.
• The FBI is proactively working with the mortgage industry in an effort to curb mortgage fraud crimes. The FBI signed a memorandum of agreement with the MBA to promote the FBI’s Mortgage Fraud Warning Notice.

Mortgage Fraud is defined as the intentional misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission by an applicant or other interested parties, relied on by a lender or underwriter to provide funding for, to purchase, or to insure a mortgage loan.

As a mortgage fraud and white collar crime speaker, I receive many calls from people who either think they may have become involved in committing some form of mortgage fraud or who have been convicted and wonder what is next. There is a clear pattern that seems to emerge. Either, the people involved are clearly doing what they know is wrong for immediate and personal (ill gotten) gain, or they are pushing the system for the purchase of property and doing so with the help of professionals who know where the gray areas are and just how far to push it.

Remember, if you do anything that is inaccurate and do so for the express purpose of having a financial institution to make a loan based on your representations - you may be guilty of mortgage fraud.

If you think you’ve been a victim feel free to comment!

White Collar Crime Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

White Collar Crime - So You Think You Invested Your Money? Mark Wayne Jaster Sentenced to Prison for Massive Fraud Scheme!

Some people have innate gifts. In the case of MARK WAYNE JASTER it must have been the power of persuasion, as this Texarkana, Texas man was successful at persuading investors to give him over $1.1 million dollars to invest.

PROBLEM: He invested none of it. Not one red cent! His skill to persuade was used in a misguided way and now he’s set to reap the rewards of his choices. Every choice has a consequence. In the case of MARK WAYNE JASTER, United States Attorney John L. Ratcliffe announced that 48-year-old Texarkana, Texas man, JASTER, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for wire fraud.

MARK WAYNE JASTER was indicted on April 3, 2007 and charged with defrauding investors through a wire fraud scheme. He pleaded guilty to that charge on August 29, 2007 and was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison by United States District Judge David Folsom. Jaster was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,134,623.30.

According to information presented in court, between 2002 and 2005, Jaster represented to investors that he was involved in the business of personal investment services. Jaster told those investors that he actively managed money through his InvestWise account at A.G. Edwards and Sons, Inc. in Texarkana, Texas. He claimed that through investing in various investments such as real estate, stocks, mutual funds, and pension funds, he achieved significant returns for his investors.

NOTE: There are many great investments out there, but, when someone tells you that they get great returns for their clients - “here, invest you money with me! Well, beware - there’s a fair chance it’s a scam. Use your common sense and check the investor out. It’s too easy these days to do that with the internet.

Jaster had some investors deposit money directly into his Mark Jaster DBA InvestWise account at Hibernia Bank. However, instead of using the money for investments, he would use it for his own personal expenses. Jaster had other investors open accounts at A.G. Edwards for the purpose of depositing funds for investments. After gaining signatory authority over these accounts, Jaster would then transfer the funds to his InvestWise account at A.G. Edwards to be used for his personal expenses.

During this time, Jaster would speak with the investors, advising them that their investments had grown significantly, and would send e-mails to the investors with false representations as to the status of their investments and legitimacy of the investments. None of the money Jaster received from investors was ever invested.

NOTE: If you’ve invested your money with an investment representative you should be able to get your account status on-line or at a minimum verify the investment status with someone other than the person who took your money to invest.

COMMENT: As a former white collar criminal (not something I am proud of) I did essentially the same thing as JESTER. I took clients money - used it for personal purposes (lifestyle) and ended up in exactly the same spot. Had either the clients done their “due diligence” by checking me and the investment I was representing out, or had they checked with someone other than me about the status of their investment, they would have found out the truth. In fact, the fraud was uncovered when ONE client sought information about his investment from someone other than me.

Every choice has a consequence. I am living proof that you do reap what you sow. And while JESTER is headed for prison, there is hope that he might learn from this experience. Today, as a speaker, I address college kids in business schools for free - it’s my way of warning them about the law of choices and consequences. This service was recently reported on in Business Week. See the article here.

For information on my presentations to colleges and universities or business associations, contact me at www.chuckgallagher.com.

West Virginia Dentist James E. Kirkpatrick, III Sentenced to Prison for Drug Fraud

Going to prison for drugs isn’t limited to “so called” drug dealers. An Ohio man was just sentenced to prison for his role in obtaining drugs illegally.

JAMES E. KIRKPATRICK III, DDS, 44, who resides in Belpre, Ohio, was sentenced to eight months in prison for fraudulently obtaining hydrocodone. KIRKPATRICK previously pled guilty in January 2008, to a one-count information. DR. KIRKPATRICK’S office is in Parkersburg, WV. He began practicing in West Virginia after losing his Ohio dental license.

Information related to his Ohio license is here.

The conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Washington County, Ohio, Major Crimes Task Force. The investigation revealed that at least three patients received prescriptions for controlled substances from KIRKPATRICK and then gave some or all of the drugs back to KIRKPATRICK for his personal use. Pharmacy records indicate the patients received multiple prescriptions for controlled substances from KIRKPATRICK in 2006 and 2007.

At sentencing, DR. KIRKPATRICK apologized to one of the patients from whom he attempted to fraudulently obtain hydrocodone following his January 2008 plea of guilty in Federal Court.

Every choice has a consequence. Often, as a speaker, I share that statement with my audiences. But, what is also true is - behavior changes only when the consequences become so significant that you want behavior to change. While losing his Ohio license may not have been directly related to the drug charge that sent Kirkpatrick to prison, certainly prison will be another consequence that will change his life.

Perhaps upon his release, Kirkpatrick can use the experience in a positive way to benefit others.

For now, business ethics and white collar crime speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…