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Gerard Beauzile, 63, South Plainfield, conducted an elaborate, long-running scheme to issue bogus checks to himself that he then deposited into his bank account, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
Beginning a decade ago and continuing through the end of 2020, Beauzile admitted issuing 140 checks to himself from the Manhattan-based company, which offers news, analysis, research and data for the "global energy industry," according to its website.
"Beauzile concealed the theft from the company by falsely entering the fraudulent checks into the company’s accounting system under various company vendor names as the payees," Sellinger said.
This made it appear that the checks were paid to company vendors, he said.
Beuzile also falsified vendor invoices to correspond to both the accounting entries and company bank statements, Sellinger said.
He used the money to pay bills, buy furniture, go to dinner and patronize retail, department and liquor stores, the FBI said.
Beuzile took a deal from the government rather than risk the potential outcome of a trial, pleading guilty to wire fraud in April 2022.
He must serve at least 85% of the negotiated 27-month sentence before he'll become eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp sentenced Beauzile in Trenton to three years of supervised release and ordered that he repay all of the money.
Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI with the investigation that produced the plea and sentence secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of his Economic Crimes Unit.
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